Guardians of the Legacy: The Hero
by Lil' Miss Mezzo
Summary: As Cloud digs into Hojo's dark secrets, he comes across an old evil that threatens the life of the woman he once loved. Set on risking his own skin to save hers, he has to brave a new land with new allies and powers before time runs out. What Cloud doesn't plan on is making the decision between fate and free will, where everyone's lives hang in the balance. Sequel to The Vessel!
1. The Truth

**The Truth**

_**When we reach for the future, we sometimes fall into the past. As we gaze upon events that cannot be changed, our hearts grow bitter with regret.**_

Cloud remained an emotionless statue, overseeing everything from the farthest corner of the room. WRO scientists scuttled around, checking graphs and databases, recording findings and hypotheses, doing whatever it took to decipher the files. They were doing the best they could, but it wasn't enough for him – he wanted answers _now_.

Maybe if they started just after defeating Omega, time wouldn't have been so much of the essence. It was only when the WRO finally dug into Deepground's archives that the issue resurfaced in Cloud's mind.

That, and the sudden reappearance of a comrade believed dead.

He held a particular grudge against Vincent for that. It wasn't severe enough for him to hate the enigma entirely, but it would have been greatly appreciated if Vincent relayed his thoughts to Cloud long before too much time passed. With a sigh, Cloud recounted that day Vincent finally approached him, breaking the trance that somehow everything was okay.

* * *

_One month ago…_

"_The least you could do is call Reeve or Shelke," Cloud told him as he set down the last of the beverage crates behind the bar counter._

_Settling into a stool, Vincent regarded Cloud with his usual piercing gaze, the crimson eyes hardly ever blinking. "It was too soon," he simply explained, knowing it would be enough of an answer._

_With sympathy, Cloud nodded. Albeit vaguely, he was aware of the special someone in Vincent's past, and even after Omega was defeated, the regret in his heart couldn't be put to rest just yet. Like how he had done before, Cloud was glad his friend could finally put the past behind him and actually live._

_As he continued shuffling around the bar, Vincent's eyes never left him, looking for the smallest crack in the tough front he was putting up. "I'm here for something else," he announced. "It's about Lightning."_

_There was the slightest hesitation before he stored a glass away. For a while, no one spoke of her…at least in front of him. Cloud himself mentioned her once or twice, but never more than just a mere reference._

_Even now, a month after the destruction of Omega, just thinking about her was difficult. The necklace that was forgotten in his pocket was now lying in the deepest corner of the drawer; it took all his willpower to avoid gazing at it. Cloud would come back to 7__th__ Heaven less often, for waking up alone in the bed became unbearable._

_Keeping his cool, Cloud turned back to Vincent. "What about her?" he asked with a hard jaw._

_Vincent continued on. "Did she seem different after I found her in Midgar?" he asked warily. "Anything off?"_

_In an attempt to return to normal, Cloud turned back and closed the cabinet. "No. She was just herself. Fought some Deepground soldiers, even helped us cut off a reactor from Omega." His mind went back to that night, when he watched her fade away before his eyes while doing nothing to keep her with him. Given that it was unexpected, he had little chance to doing anything to stop it…but had they been given time to fully understand what was against them, they could have been together. "…She did faint once."_

"_Trauma?"_

"_I don't think so," Cloud replied, suddenly wondering what made her pass out as well. "She must have been tired from being in Deepground that time." Despite his words, he couldn't shake off the lingering feeling that there was something else other than mere fatigue and dehydration. There was little to go on…_

_Except for one person._

_Cloud's gaze hesitantly slid to Vincent out of the corner of his eye, finding a blank yet perturbed expression hidden behind the cloak. "You think something happened…?" It was more of a statement rather than a question._

_Vincent's response wasn't gentle. It was usual for him to clearly speak his mind; no need in hiding his thoughts from the only people he was willing to converse with. "Deepground…__**Hojo **__wanted her for a reason." The name slid out like a curse. Even now when the deranged scientist was truly dead, he would surely haunt their memories forever. "Being the man he was, he wouldn't just simply look for specimens without intent."_

_With a nod, Cloud recollected what was now public news. After his physical body deteriorated, Hojo - the former head of Shinra's science department - took control of Weiss, the leader of the Tsviets. With all of Deepground under his command, he ordered for the capture of innocent civilians, as well as the detainment of Lightning and the retrieval of the Protomateria from Vincent._

_His words were slowly sliding into place…and Cloud's face turned dark as he glared at Vincent with cold eyes. "He wanted Lightning as a test subject?" When Vincent didn't answer, he assumed the worst. "You think he did something to her," he said acidly._

"_We can't overlook that possibility, Cloud," Vincent urged, his voice full of reason. "Think about it. All the other victims were used as a sacrifice – because they never had traces of Geostigma in their system, right? Omega needed to think the Planet was in danger, because the Lifestream would have been filled with pure souls."_

_Cloud nodded in understanding._

"_Didn't you once say Lightning found a materia forged with Jenova cells?"_

_That day came back to release a shiver down Cloud's spine. The moment Lightning absorbed the tainted materia into her arm, he thought she would have been done for if he didn't rush to the church. Looking back now, it was just passed off as a mere coincidence until the two of them fell into the Lifestream…and learned the truth about Deepground's goals._

"_That would have made her just like the other citizens Deepground killed on the streets," Vincent continued, his mind lost in thought. "But they still wanted her…alive, and not for a sacrifice."_

_Vincent's leveled voice broke through the rage that was building up. If Lightning was able to get out of Deepground's lair that night with hardly any trouble, they must have wanted her to go for a reason. After the months of pursuit and tactics, it would have been ridiculous to let their guard slip up just when they had her right where they wanted her to be._

_Her escape was no accident._

"_Still, that would mean the Tsviets were after her just so she could be Hojo's lab rat." Cloud's hand began to tighten into a shaking fist, and he slammed it on the counter between him and Vincent. "They've been after her for __**months**__. She could be in danger. __**Pulse**__ could be in danger."_

_Vincent's next words made him feel like crumbling into nothing, and Cloud was uncertain if he even wanted to keep listening after this news. "Hojo knew about Lightning's origins. He knew that Chaos played a part in Omega, Lightning's appearance on the Planet…And he wanted her to go back, to leave the Planet and return to Pulse."_

_Silently, he watched Cloud's face turn sickeningly pale while the fist on the counter tiredly slid off. The past year had been staged, Cloud realized – Lightning was meant to be on the Planet, just like everyone had believed…but for darker reasons. Like before, she was used as a tool by those who merely sought out supremacy and power, and this time, she was completely oblivious to it. While everyone pointed fingers at Vincent for tearing her away from her home, they were blind to the truth all along._

"_What did he want her for?" Cloud asked in a bare whisper._

_All at once, Vincent's eyes became hard and determined. "That's what we need to find out."_

* * *

While everyone continued bustling through the dome-like facility, Cloud glared at the large spherical hologram in the middle of the room, where random data and files whisked in and out of view as the scientists searched through the stacks of archives. He drew closer to the platform's railing to get a better view, ignoring the commotion surrounding him. After the incident in Midgar, Reeve ordered a thorough search of the Deepground premises led by Shelke, hoping to uncover the last bits of Shinra secrets.

Secrets that could be connected to Lightning.

As they delved into the darkest corners of Deepground, Shelke finally retrieved drives that Hojo kept stored away for years – a sequel to Lucrecia Crescent's Chaos Theory, in particular. Even after she was ridiculed for her research, Hojo must have locked the rest of her findings away, hoping they would be of some use in the future.

"Cloud."

From beside him, Reeve appeared with a weary face. Ever since Vincent and Cloud approached him to warn about Lightning, he had been on-the-go for days, refusing to rest until the WRO had made significant progress in decrypting the drives. Unfortunately, Hojo did his best to keep the information only to himself, and not even Shelke found the trip through the barriers a joyride. Far from them, but not out of his peripheral sight, Cloud saw Vincent take refuge in a dark corner, most likely avoiding the gratitude the WRO would surely be showering him with. He refused to be in a spotlight; saving the world from Omega wasn't an act of glory, but something that had to be done.

Cloud briefly acknowledged Reeve before turning back to the hologram. "This is everything, right?"

"Yes. Shelke was sure that these were the top-secret files Professor Hojo kept to himself. She's in the back right now, helping us with a synaptic net dive."

Crossing his arms before his chest, Cloud let out a sigh. "Is there any way for her to be faster?"

"She's doing the best she can," Reeve explained sternly. Regardless of her phenomenal neural computer skills, she was only a young girl, and it would be against his morals to push someone who had turned against her own organization to help them.

It didn't alleviate the frustration building up inside. Cloud gripped the rail in front of him, his gloves letting out a screech as his muscles tightened. "Lightning could be in danger, Reeve," he said in a leveled yet dangerous tone.

Despite his utmost faith in Lightning, Reeve still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the concept. "You believe she truly came from another world? This Pulse?"

"You weren't there in the Lifestream with her." Cloud looked back at that day in Midgar, when he and Lightning glimpsed into each other's minds. From what he observed, the images coming from her memories were far too vivid to pass on as fabricated. "I saw her memories, the things she saw long ago. Pulse and Cocoon weren't from mako overdose."

"Indeed," said a calm voice beside Reeve. Looking over, they saw Red XIII approaching them, almost lost in thought. "There is evidence of other life farther than what we are aware of. I've been looking through my grandfather's research, and for as long as he had been studying, there are other worlds out there that have little to no correlation to our own. That must explain why she was familiar with some things, like gil and chocobos, but utterly ignorant of the basics. Now, _why_ there is any correlation to begin with, I cannot say. It will take many more years to study the metaphysics and origins of both sides, if we can do so at all."

All through his speculation, Cloud felt lost as his brows knitted tightly together. He exchanged a quick glance with Reeve, who felt somewhat similar. "You think you can use smaller words with us?"

Red XIII gave him a flat stare before easing up. "It could be that she was telling the truth, and she really is from a universe different from our own in some ways, while similar in others."

"So why was Chaos able to reach into her world and drag her here?" Cloud turned to lean back against the rail, crossing his arms before him.

Reeve lightly tapped his chin, his mind searching through the countless research Shinra Company had undergone. "Perhaps there was more to Chaos than we believed," he supposed. "Unlike the other Weapons, Chaos and Omega worked together, and their purposes were different."

Not long afterward, a WRO general approached the commissioner, briefly saluting. "Sir, Tifa Lockhart has just arrived."

Cloud's childhood friend was certainly one he could count on. Even in the darkest of times, Tifa did her best to make things work for the better and sought out the safety of everyone around her. Perhaps it was her kind and gentle spirit that drew him to her when they were kids…but those feelings no longer lingered as strongly.

If there was any matter that concerned Lightning, she would definitely have to be involved.

From the hallway of the WRO headquarters, Tifa appeared with a careful expression, her eyes first falling upon Cloud with sympathy before she nodded to Reeve. As she approached, her arm rose to gently lay a hand on Cloud's arm; she knew very well of the trouble wracking Cloud's mind, and it was all she could do to let him know she wanted to help in any way possible.

She dropped her hand and stood beside him, watching the WRO staff work to no end. "So, lemme get this straight – Hojo wanted to use Lightning for _something_, and he played along with Chaos' little game to get what he wanted?"

Cloud frowned as he turned back around; the breakdown of it all somehow made the situation more ominous. "That's what we got so far," he let out with a sigh. Staying in the dark irritated him by the second, and it was a relief when Shelke's voice finally came up through the PA system.

"I have access to Lucrecia Crescent's files. You should be able to see them in the control room."

Reeve stepped up to stand by Cloud and Tifa. "Excellent. Clear everything for her."

Most of the people turned their attention to the spherical hologram, where the files Shelke gained access to spread across the screen. Hundreds of documents whizzed through the surface, certain points on them glowing differently on the green projection. Despite the speed they were being sifted in, Cloud caught sight of mentions of a "target", as well as reports thoroughly documenting findings on Chaos and Omega. Some of it was stuff they already knew – Omega was a last resort for the Planet, and that Chaos worked in tandem with it.

One particular file seemed to have caught Shelke's attention, for it abruptly stopped to hover in the hologram as the rest of Lucrecia's research vanished. The sphere suddenly turned pitch black; everyone held their breaths until an unknown location made its way through heavy static on the screen. It was barely clear, but Reeve could have sworn he saw something of a skyscraper within a dilapidated metropolis-like setting. However, its architecture hinted toward more of a sacred tower or shrine.

"_**They lived only to die," **_said a familiar voice. Reeve remembered hearing it when they uncovered Lucrecia's original research on Chaos and Omega. _**"That was what the Goddess believed. Her benevolence was the greatest, and a heart was given to mortals. A heart in the form of chaos."**_

While a dark shroud covered the sphere, Cloud and Reeve exchanged disturbed glances at her words. This could have something to do with Lightning's world, though whether they can act upon it was difficult, given the impossibility of traveling to Pulse.

"_**This was the gift of the Goddess,"**_ Lucrecia continued. _**"It would be their greatest strength – one that mortals could not see. Not all chaos could be tamed, but She must not fall to its power. Her Providence was failing." **_A spherical symbol with stubs on the top and bottom illuminated through the darkness, appearing as a brand of some sort. Then, a wisp of chaos circled the symbol before whisking out of the hologram sphere, floating across the room. The WRO staff flinched away from it as if it was a disease trying to reach them, but it continued its course, drifting closer to Cloud and the others ever so slowly.

"_**Amassed, this special gift was sent away, unwilling to be granted upon mortals. Space and reality – they held no bars against it. Twisted descendant came forth as Omega."**_

The chaotic wisp took shape, transforming into a silhouette they knew all too well. Despite being a colossus in reality, the model before Cloud seemed to be human size. Streams of gold and black encircled its limbs, signifying its origins.

Just then, a much smaller wisp came to hover beside it, this time taking shape of a monster with bat-like wings. Cloud's eyes widened at the sight.

"_**Chaos took form, to be its squire. Entities only known as the fal'Cie remained connected with these gifts, should they call them to their bidding for otherworldly purposes. Their word…is absolute."**_

All at once, the holograms disappeared from sight, and the sphere in the middle of the room returned to its mako-green hue. Though light came back into the room to give a sense of comfort, no one felt relieved after being witnesses to this discovery. Cloud felt his blood run cold, and part of him regretted learning this piece of vital information from Lightning's world. Was she even aware of this "goddess" and the accursed gift that was residing in her and all her friends?

"This uncovers the last of Lucrecia Crescent's research," said Shelke's voice over the PA system. As usual, her tone was that devoid of emotion, but there were small hints of disturbance. "It also includes findings from Grimoire Valentine. The chaos sample they excavated from the Crystal Cave was believed to have started from the beginning of man and even come from another world."

Tifa's eyes glassed over, her mind drowning in the new information. "Fal'Cie…" She let out a humorless chuckle. "Lightning really wasn't making it all up."

After a long moment of more silence, Reeve spoke up while staring at the spherical hologram. "These fal'Cie beings…they must have made a connection to span across our worlds and order Chaos to take Lightning. That was probably why she felt familiar with Vincent."

"What about this goddess?" Vincent asked behind them. He came up a little closer throughout the visuals, hoping to get a better look at this thesis he never heard about.

"The research hasn't gone so far in detail," Shelke replied for everyone to hear. "It mainly revolves around Chaos and Omega. Chaos is a natural substance in Lightning Farron's world, but the Chaos that rested within you, Vincent Valentine, was heavily pure. This goddess couldn't risk bestowing it upon humans, and so she ripped through reality and threw it away, where it took form in _our_ time and space...to become Chaos and Omega."

Vincent stood speechless at the thought. The monstrosity that was once a part of him wasn't meant to be in humans, at least not as strong as it was. If Lucrecia hadn't been successful in her experiments, it was hard to say what could have happened to him. To have chaos resting in every human was dangerous, and he wondered exactly how safe Lightning's world could possibly be after the goddess committed such an act.

Tifa let out a heavy sigh, trying to find the right words to say. "Okay…I get why Chaos got Lightning out of Pulse – because of these fal'Cie gods. But it doesn't explain why Hojo wanted her as a test subject."

Her words piqued Reeve's interest as well. "Shelke, have you found any of Hojo's reports about Lightning? Any vague mention?"

"I'll search through the reports recorded within the past year." Files were whisked across the sphere again, sections briefly highlighted when it caught Shelke's attention, but most of them were just a cursory glance. Meanwhile, Cloud's eyes tried to follow as quickly as they could, hoping to catch something that would clear up the confusion and fear gripping hold of him.

"There," Shelke finally said. A particular document was pulled up and expanded, the scribble barely readable. The unrecognizable handwriting must have been Hojo's; the document itself must have been a journal, given the progressing dates with each entry.

"It's been stored along with the rest of his Jenova reports, with references to Lightning Farron dated as far back as a little over a year ago. Within Deepground, information on her was classified, even among Tsviets. Our orders were simply capture and retrieval. It was Weiss…Professor Hojo…who knew what to do with her."

It was only one word – one name – that drained the blood from Cloud's face. He hoped to never hear about that monstrosity again, that it would be buried along with the memories of Midgar and Sephiroth. It should have been over…

But he should have known better. A man like Hojo would never stop in his malicious endeavors, and it would only be natural for him to still carry a sample after all these years.

"No…"

Reeve and Tifa glanced toward him worriedly, carefully observing the change in his expression. Vincent, however, was following along with him, and though he didn't express the shock as greatly, it was certainly there.

"He was still working on the Jenova Reunion Theory," he murmured almost inaudibly. "After all this time…"

At that moment, all the memories came flooding back to them. After the great battles and unbearable losses, none of them thought it had a chance of coming back to haunt them one last time. Cloud and Tifa's frowns could have been permanently fixed on their visages; just in the back of their long-forgotten hometown was the monstrosity that almost led to the end of the world. Had they known the truth, they might have done everything they could to demolish that reactor, to make sure the calamity was no more.

Reeve shuddered, shaking his head with disbelief. "And he's had it along with Dr. Crescent's Chaos Theory all these years. His main focus was testing that Reunion Theory."

"He had been postulating a second thesis," Shelke continued. Though Cloud begged in his heart for her to stop, he knew they had to learn the truth. "One that he hoped to experiment with once the Reunion Theory was surely proven. Should the Jenova cells be in danger of extinction, one final survivor could mutate, becoming the new primary source."

Tifa's forehead was heavily creased; the final click in her head was so close, and yet a part of her was pushing it back, refusing to even acknowledge it as the truth. "Jenova cells separate," she reviewed aloud. "Most get wiped out, one strong fighter survives…"

"And Jenova is reborn," Reeve finished with a shaky voice. "Not just by infecting someone like a disease…but by turning that new vessel into its home base."

"By taking over the patient zero's body and mind, it can be overridden to carry out the alien matter's will. Lightning Farron seemed to be the primary subject for this thesis." There was hesitation in Shelke's voice – a suspicion that seemed to also arise in everyone else.

"Jenova's will…?" Tifa faintly shook her head, trying to block the facts that wanted to pull her into despair. Thinking back, she knew it too well, but absorbing the truth all over again was too much. "To do what, exactly?"

Beside her, Cloud felt frozen in ice – his mind was racing, but he didn't know what to do. He couldn't deny the truth that was right in front of him, and for the longest moment, he thought he was dreaming. Lightning was safe on Pulse, with Serah and her friends. He was here on the Planet with Tifa, Vincent, and the others, trying to carry on with life and knowing she would be away from harm.

And in the end, he had to accept that it was just a dream.

Hojo made clear many years ago what Jenova was capable of, what it was created to do. As long as the calamity still lived, no one was safe, no matter how far they were.

"Destroy the planet it's on," Cloud muttered. His words started out terribly soft, but the ominous tone was easily picked up by the others. "And travel to a new one. It's a never-ending cycle, with millions of lives lost…and it's going to start with Lightning."

Once Reeve and Tifa were able to see the bigger picture, nothing stopped the horror-stricken faces from appearing. Red XIII whimpered in the background while Vincent, who seemed to have connected the pieces at the same time as Cloud, looked upon the man with shock.

Carry out Jenova's will…through Lightning. Who knew at that moment, when Lightning vanished before their eyes…they were sending death to her home?


	2. The Resolve

**The Resolve**

_One month ago – Pulse_

"Lightning?"

She looked up from her seat on the small pier, snapping out her trance as the feet that were tracing endless circles in the water froze. Appearing out of nowhere, Serah looked down with a bright smile that lit up the dark blue night.

"What are you doing out here?"

It was a small moment for her to recollect her thoughts and chuckle softly. "Just enjoying the breeze," Lightning replied. "It feels different from where we were on Cocoon, but I hardly went to the beach on the Planet." Costa del Sol was certainly a luxury, and those few times she went were times she certainly cherished. What with her position as captain of Midgar Area Patrol and Cloud going everywhere to deliver, it was hard to find a time to just go out with Tifa and the kids.

Serah chuckled along before settling down to sit next to her, dipping her feet into the cool water. It had only been two weeks since Lightning miraculously appeared on their shores, but she was dying to figure out what exactly happened in the past year. When she got the chance, she would drill Lightning on where she was, what was going through her head…and where she procured the intriguing earring hanging on her right earlobe. Asking that particular question brought a faint blush on her sister's face, only piquing Serah's interest even more.

In the days following her return, Lightning was certainly different from before, particularly in how she acted toward Snow. Serah knew they got to know each other better during their days as l'Cie, but her sister was actually interested in helping them with their wedding plans that finally picked up after a year of nothing. It was expected of her to try and delay the big moment; there must have been something, or _someone_, who helped her change her mind about being with a special someone.

And Serah was going to find out, no matter how many times Lightning would avoid her.

"Sooo, Light," she said while trying to keep the smirk off her face. "That beach on the Planet…was it fun?"

Lightning let out a humorless laugh. "Was it fun when all the tourists came to Bodhum for the annual fireworks?" The city would be packed and overflowed, and the shops would be sold out in an instant. There would be nowhere to sit or enjoy the usual daily life, which annoyed Lightning to some degree, but it wasn't enough to make her want to move away from their home. They were born and raised in the seaside city, and it was up to the sisters to live out their parents' legacies in their hometown.

"Did you ever go there with Cloud?"

The aloof air vanished, for Lightning knew exactly what Serah was getting at. _'Fine,'_ she thought after weeks of this torture. _'I'll play along with her little game.'_

Taking a deep breath, the smile on her vanished grew weaker until it became sad, almost painful. "Just once, a little after we…" As her voice trailed off, Lightning could practically feel Serah's smirk beside her. Rolling her eyes, she decided to keep going, anyway. "It was a vacation for us and my squad. Blue skies, white sands…It was so much like home."

"I'm sure you two had a good time."

Lightning nudged her sister with her shoulder, a smirk accompanying the glare in her eyes. "Hey, what's with all this? I never bothered you and Snow like this."

"No, you would just go ahead and throw him out of the house!"

At that, they laughed with a relief they thought they could never feel again. Serah had memories similar to this, but they were deeply buried by the scars of their parents' deaths and the growing distance afterward. For once, everything felt perfect – her sister was home, Snow would soon be married to her, and they didn't have worry about being under the constant "protection" of the fal'Cie that wanted them dead.

As the breeze started ebbing into its colder temperatures for the late hours of the night, Serah got up to her feet, failing to notice the shudder ripping through Lightning's spine, her feet no longer drawing circles in the water. "I'm gonna call it a night," she said just before turning around. "I'll see you inside."

"Hey, Serah."

Turning back halfway, Serah watched as Lightning reached back to pull her survival knife out of her back pocket. The blade was instantly flicked out, and the young soldier began scraping the tip beneath her fingernails, the gesture so simple, yet out of character. Despite calling out, she refused to face Serah, the only movement coming from her hands and razor-sharp knife.

Serah silently waited, but Lightning continued the unnerving fiddling, making her sister wonder exactly what was running through her head. In her mind, she could tell that something was off, that something had changed in the past few moments…but what it was, it was difficult to say.

"Lightning…?"

The older Farron looked over her shoulder, answering with the coldest of smiles.

But what spooked Serah the most was the strange alteration of her irises. They glowed with a startling green hue, and the pupils were now narrow slits like a cat. Her heart almost died of fright, as if the woman she was just with suddenly vanished.

"Do me a favor?" Lightning asked in a sweetly venomous tone. "Let me see your arm for a moment."

* * *

_Present Day – The Planet_

They retreated to one of the board rooms in the back of the headquarters, unable to take all the glances and stares from the faculty who witnessed the truth. Not that they paid much attention to them, anyway. When they settled into the room, Reeve slumped into a seat at the end of the conference table, Cloud in another at the side, and Tifa leaned against an edge of the table near Cloud. Vincent remained in a corner, his arms crossed before his chest as he carefully watched the others. Right after everything was made clear, Red XIII had requested returning to his home in Cosmo Canyon, hoping to solidify this claim that Lightning and Pulse were truly in danger.

Tifa was the first to speak after what seemed like hours, though her voice was shaky and quiet. "…What just happened? Is everyone…" She swallowed hard, still trying to take everything in. "We all know _exactly_ what's going on?"

Reeve let out a heavy sigh, filled to the brim with defeat. "Hojo used Lightning to continue his research on Jenova cells." Even saying it aloud didn't help make it acceptable.

Vincent dropped his arms and stepped toward the edge of the table, facing the others from the opposite end. "With Lucrecia's research on Chaos and Omega, he already figured that Lightning came from a different world."

"His studies are starting again…" Reeve's face darkened as his hands clenched into tight fists. "In a place far away from here, where he wouldn't have been at risk of dying on the Planet."

In the end, they were more than sick of how far Hojo had gone just for his research. The man saw humans as nothing but subjects; hell, he even conducted experiments on himself when push came to shove. Grimaces were tightly fixed on all of their faces, for the nightmare they thought was finally dead a few months ago refused to fade away.

Without warning, the doors to the board room opened, and Shelke appeared with her usual blank expression. She was dressed in dark green capris and light blue blouse, having decided to throw away her past with Deepground aside from the synaptic net dive skills.

"Professor Hojo figured with Chaos, he would find a conduit to observe the process of his experiment in Lightning Farron's world."

Her words actually made sense, finally connecting the last pieces together. However, it only accomplished the task of infuriating Tifa. "He'd _study _the Jenova cells taking control of Lightning," she muttered just before slamming a fist on the desk, the cacophonous sound ringing in Cloud's ears. "Watch as she killed everyone and everything on Pulse…just for his stupid science."

Imagining it brought unbearable shivers down their spines. Death and carnage would litter Pulse. Lost and confused, millions of innocents would die or fall victim to Jenova's mind control, and the world itself would be doomed to be an empty husk and crumble into nothing when the calamity was finished with it.

"The link between Chaos and Pulse is still unclear," Shelke said to break the ominous silence. "However…it could be that these "fal'Cie" had a hand in the change of space and reality."

It was clear that the fal'Cie and this vague "goddess" shouldn't be considered one and the same, but both had powers that not even mako or Jenova could match up to. Though he was silent, Vincent feared the extent of their powers, and what that would have meant for him if Chaos was still in his body. If they were able to break the barriers of different worlds to control the monster in him, who knew how long they were pulling his strings after all these years.

'_Did Lightning have any idea about all this?'_ he pondered. Perhaps everyone in her world had been kept in the dark for generations, never truly knowing whether free will was an illusion or not.

"The data he recorded indicates that the cells within Lightning Farron were in a dormant state when injected," Shelke continued before her face bore a fearful grimace. "However, it is impossible to say if and when they will activate."

All the while, none of them could see the thoughts rushing through Cloud's mind. As time ticked by, death and destruction could be spreading across Pulse, ruining the life Lightning wished to go back to. The vast wildlife of Pulse, the people and friends she only just reunited with…they would all be used up, expendable for the alien that infected their lands.

If he had known what was coursing through her veins, would he have found a way to save her before she disappeared? Going straight to the church in Sector 5 may have been an option, but it wasn't like Geostigma; she had been given a pure sample of Jenova cells, and it was uncertain how or if the water could have affected her.

He imagined her corpse writhing as Pulse died…and he abruptly stood up in his seat.

"We have to get to Pulse," Cloud announced, his voice low and dark. "Lightning's in danger, because of something from _our _world." His clenched fist violently shook at his side. After seeking a life as peaceful as he could get with Lightning, he wouldn't let it all be in vain. "I won't let her die."

Despite his declared resolve, actions still spoke louder than words. In their position, there was little they could do in a separate dimension far from their own. Tifa wanted to support him and be on his side…but she also had to keep a clear head to be realistic.

"Cloud…we have no way of getting there. Lightning was only able to pass through because of Chaos, and now it's gone."

"Then I'll _find_ a way," he growled through his teeth while his mako eyes glared in her direction. All his life, he never thought of doubting Tifa's level-headed logic, but Cloud wasn't going to let it get in the way this time. "It's out there."

Tifa bit her lip before nodding. She could already see the limits he would push through to save Lightning from her fate, even when it was near impossible to just reach her. In all honesty, she regretted thinking with such defeat; letting doubt fill her mind was one of the things she always tried to avoid.

Before they could even try to start a plan, one of the WRO commanders charged into the board room, slightly out of breath. Reeve got up from his seat, wondering where all the anxiety was coming from.

"Commissioner," the soldier greeted before saluting. "We're receiving reports of high mako energy levels coming from Midgar."

The news certainly took them all by surprise, and they exchanged glances of pure shock with one another. With the recent events they witnessed, it was natural to assume that Deepground had returned to finish what it started. However, Shelke's thorough investigation in the ruins made it clear that the organization was gone for good, just like the Shinra conglomerate years ago. What's more, the mako reactors were destroyed and dust in the wind.

"Is it Deepground again?" Reeve asked perturbed, just to be sure they had done the job right a few months ago. Shelke's brows knitted tightly together; despite her low rank among the Tsviets, she couldn't see how her old faction would still survive, not when Hojo is finally gone for good and could no longer lead it.

There should have been no source left that was connected with the Lifestream's energy…except one.

"No, sir," the soldier replied with a hint of disbelief. "…The energy levels are pointing toward the Sector 5 slums."

They thought about it for a quick moment…until it finally dawned on them. Cloud let out a small shudder of disbelief, wondering if he should believe the feeling in his gut. Looking around, he noticed everyone just as breathless as he was, their eyes darting around to see if the others came to the same conclusion. Many would think the old Sector 5 slums of Midgar held no importance whatsoever, but to them, it was a place they could never forget.

It was Reeve who was the first to act. "Prepare an airship," he ordered hastily. "Set it straight to Midgar, Sector 5. I want to be there within an hour."

Once the soldier left, Reeve exchanged hopeful glances with the others before attending to his commissioner duties. Shelke gave a hopeful smile to Cloud just before leaving as well. With just the three of them, Tifa stood speechless as Cloud slowly walked to stand close to the doors; Vincent rounded the table to join them, his eyes glowing with intrigue.

"You think it's…?"

Collecting herself, Tifa nodded. As crazy as it seemed, the situation couldn't be _entirely_ ruled out. It was improbable...but it wasn't impossible.

"It started there, right?" she asked, her eyes stuck on Cloud's back. "And she knows…I think she wants to help."

Cloud could barely give Tifa attention, for the small fire of hope in his chest was all he could think of. Just mere seconds ago, they had been stuck on square one – finding the impossible way to get to Pulse and Lightning. What were the chances of an answer popping up just when they needed it? Time and again, she had helped them through their hardest struggles, and she refused to just sit back when a friend, no matter how brief they met, was in danger.

She answered prayers before. Perhaps she heard theirs again this time.

"Thank you, Aerith," Cloud said in a bare whisper just before hurrying out the doors to follow Reeve. Tifa and Vincent were right behind as he entered the clamorous airship hangar; all the WRO members present bustled to prepare the fastest airship available while Reeve yelled out orders in front of it.

Breathing deeply, Cloud finally made up his mind. He was going to Pulse, regardless of the dangers and unknown territory. Would Lightning be there when he arrived? Would she be all right? He wanted to believe that the Jenova cells hadn't awakened yet, that she was still living happily with Serah and her friends…

But the chance of that happening was still little to none.

* * *

**Hey, guys! Thanks for coming back for The Hero. If you're new, you should go to my profile page and take a chance at reading Guardians of the Legacy: The Vessel. As you may or may not know, this story will follow Cloud and his adventure through Pulse, whereas part 1 was about Lightning's time on the Planet/Gaia.**

**I hope no one has gotten confused already. For the longest time, this sequel had gone through revision after revision in order to make sense and still be not so cheesy or lame. I'll probably tell you all about it later. If the plot _doesn't _make sense, just send a PM via my profile page, and I'll be more than happy to give you a spoiler-free overview of what's going on so far.**


	3. The New World

**The New World**

After the epic battle just a few months ago, it was a miracle any part of Midgar was still standing, let alone the church. Not one side of it was touched by fires or ruined in battle; it was like a force field surrounded the sacred monument, despite being a little dilapidated itself.

The airship had difficulty finding a big enough landing point, but Cloud insisted that it wasn't necessary. When they got close enough, he simply slid the door open and jumped out fearlessly, hitting the ground with no trouble at all. Had Lightning's Grav-Con Unit been left behind, the travel would have been easier…

But he personally wouldn't have wanted any other memento shredding his chest at the moment.

Immediately after landing in what was once the train graveyard, Cloud already started making his way to the Sector 5 slums. Tifa and Vincent trailed on right after him, quietly deciding not to butt into his ironclad concentration. Throughout the whole ride, he was deadly silent, his sights fixated on Midgar with no hint of relent.

"Are we sure about this?" Tifa hesitantly asked as they trekked through the maze-like ruins.

Vincent kept his gaze straight ahead. "Reeve said there were high reports of mako energy here." His crimson eyes suddenly narrowed; it felt like they progressed through a threshold, and the surroundings turned stagnant. "You can feel it, can't you? The strong density in the air…"

Tifa recognized this sensation from before, the familiarity digging into her for distant memories. "Materia," she realized, all of her breath almost flying out of her lungs. "When it's forged at mako springs, it releases massive waves of energy."

Cloud shook his head ever so slightly, his brows knitting together. "But it's rare for materia to be naturally forged." Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, reaching an epiphany just when the church could be seen from a distance. His mako-tinted orbs widened as he let out a shaky breath. "It can't be…"

Everything made sense in the blink of an eye – the surge of mako energy, the appearance of help the moment they needed one…It had to be her. No other kind of miracle had ever made its way to help them before, but Cloud still couldn't bring himself to believe she would pull through for them once more.

As tears coated her eyes, Tifa fought them down and gently smiled. "Who else could it be, Cloud?" she rhetorically asked in a soft voice. "And here, of all places?" The journey they all struggled through three years ago was forever burned into her heart. Though they had ultimately won in the end, the victory surely didn't feel like it made up for their losses. Tifa missed her with every reminiscing thought…but she knew that she would always be there to help them.

Vincent's mind was lost in thought, doing his best to connect the dots with all the information they had. "Was it because of Lightning and Jenova…?"

"Probably," Cloud replied, despite the burning wish in his heart that it was actually true. He conjured up possibilities for these change of events, and one moment shone out above the others. "When Lightning and I came to Midgar after that first assault on WRO, we fell into the Lifestream…We saw her."

Tifa's eyes widened with surprise. "You did…?"

"Zack, too. They probably know that she needs help." He felt the corners of his lips pull upward at a thought. They were never gone – just out of sight.

As they approached the once-hallowed ground, Cloud and Vincent drew their weapons, expecting any kind of possibility as to what brought them here. Tifa slowly climbed the steps and laid a hand on the door before turning back to them. After they gave her affirmative nods, she slowly pushed the door open, her eyes immediately scanning the large room.

Not much seemed to be out of place. Aside from some new debris from the bout with Omega and Deepground, the church appeared to be the same as before. The front altar still held the pond they regarded as sacred, as well as the original Buster Sword planted into a fallen pillar as a memorial.

The three of them picked up their pace as they entered the church, their eyes quickly scanning everywhere. All in all, nothing changed…except for their twinge of hope crumbling with disappointment. Perhaps the mako readings were just natural from the open reservoir of Lifestream. Nothing new…

Nothing exactly helpful.

With a heavy sigh, Cloud turned to the others and tucked away his sword. Maybe it was too good to be true to ask for a miracle again. After all, it would have been hard to turn the tides of fate, and yet they had done so time and again for the past three years. Nonetheless, it didn't stop the ultimate truth from hitting him.

They had no way of getting to Pulse. Lightning and her world were doomed.

Tifa felt her chest heave at the sight of his despair. More than anything, she wanted to relieve him of the misery that threatened to eat him from the inside. It was just like before – Cloud was never far from her mind…and it was times like these where she knew the dark recesses of her heart would come forward.

Across the aisle from her, Vincent's phone chirped to indicate a new text message. He instantly flipped it open and read. "Reeve's on his way," he announced while glancing up to look at them. Just when they felt entirely lost in their own thoughts, a bright yellow gleam suddenly blinded his eye, something Tifa and Cloud immediately noticed.

Spinning around, Cloud's eyes darted over the pond, searching for the source. The gleam came from whatever was tucked snugly next to the Buster Sword's blade – minute in size but brilliant in radiance. As the sun's rays struck it, gold light danced before them, briefly blinding them until Cloud began to edge forward. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the rays before getting a good view of the foreign object.

"What's that…?" Tifa's voice was hesitant, even with the large distance between her and the mysterious light. When Cloud was just an arm's reach away, his shadow towered over the small sphere, blocking the sunlight striking it at the right angle. He carefully crouched down to observe…and he found a glimmering gold materia leaning against the Buster Sword's blade.

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he speculated the strange turn of events. "Materia?"

With no coherent response, Cloud crouched down and carefully lifted the materia from its position. Its solid core proved that it was no illusion; as he got back up, Cloud delicately turned it with his fingers, observing the perfect and polished sphere.

Along with Vincent, Tifa slowly approached from behind, her eyes barely leaving the strange anomaly. "It's…gold." Just as she continued mulling over the thought that such a beautiful materia had actually been forged, her chocolate-brown eyes widened when Cloud brought the materia dangerously close to his forearm, realizing his intentions. "Cloud, wait!" Tifa leaped forward and laid a firm hand on his arm, prompting him to turn and face her with surprise.

Her brows knitted tightly together, taken back by his abrupt recklessness. "You don't know what it does," she explained. Even in these desperate times, she wanted Cloud to at least keep a cool head in his efforts to get to Pulse.

However, the look of fierce determination didn't leave his face and posture. "I trust them," he said with absolute, turning back to the materia just inches away from his forearm. "We can use this to help Lightning...somehow."

Tifa could see that her words barely had any effect. With Lightning no longer with them, it was clearer to see just how similar she was to Cloud. Though he had chastised her for charging into matters guns blazing, it was surprising how he would do the same when her safety was on the line.

'_You'd risk your life…What about the others you leave behind?'_

Sighing with defeat, Tifa merely took a step back as Cloud allowed the gold materia to dissolve into his arm. Yellow mist enveloped the site of entry, a strange yet painless sensation coursing through his veins. His mind raced to find an explanation, to seek a purpose for this undefined gift. Tifa and Vincent hesitantly watched while he paced to the side, drawing close to the spot where he had once slept during his time in the church.

After clenching his hand into a tight fist, the mist grew thicker and brighter, gathering in high concentrations until Cloud gave a wave of his hand. The mist shot out before him, swirling through the air and growing dense to emit a shimmering light. Not too far from him, it started to take an elongated form, tall enough for one of his size to walk through. A bright gold light shone from its depths, illuminating his face and widened mako eyes.

Tifa gasped and left her jaw hanging as she slowly stepped closer to him. "How did you…?"

All she got was a lost shake of the head. "I just knew," Cloud replied in a bare whisper. He himself was awestruck at the sight; even with all that he had seen with mako and the Lifestream, he could barely believe what was clearly before him.

"Will this bring you to Pulse?"

Together, Tifa and Cloud turned to see Reeve enter through the church's doors. His appearance was even more weary from before, what with all the turn of events still processing in his head. As he walked down the center aisle, Vincent nodded while turning back to the golden portal.

"It's our only lead," he explained, and there was no denying his words. "Either way, Cloud's right – we can't doubt those two." With the little time they had and virtually no access to Pulse, this one glimmer of hope was all they had going for them. As seemingly impossible as it was, the team still had to put their trust in Aerith, praying that this gift would get them over this very first hurdle.

Cloud nodded to him in appreciation while a heavy burden began weighing itself on his mind. Was he actually going to go through with this? Even with his trust in Aerith, there was still that sliver of hesitation gnawing from the inside. What if something went wrong the moment he stepped in? He knew his actions were a terribly big risk, and now that he's at this point, he may never come back to start over if everything turns out for the worst.

But if it _was_ the right path, then he would be a whole world closer to Lightning, and Cloud refused to pass up that chance.

"Right," he said in a definite voice before taking a step closer to the portal. "I'm going."

"So am I."

The sound of Tifa's voice made him close his eyes and exhale, for he figured that she would somehow try to tag along. Cloud definitely didn't look forward to involving her, dragging her into potential danger along with him. "Tifa…"

When he opened his eyes and turned, he found Tifa close beside him, facing the portal with a fierce look of determination. There was also a hint of stubbornness, and Cloud could tell it would be an argument he wouldn't win.

"She's my friend, too," she told him without making eye contact. "No matter what, I'm gonna try to save her. I owe her that much…after all she's done for us."

He wanted to believe that she was doing this for the sake of a good friend…but Cloud could see there was some hidden secret, a deep wish that she was keeping to herself. Though Tifa was open to interacting and bonding with others, it was hard to completely access all her thoughts and feelings. He was wary of what ran through her mind…but was nonetheless grateful for her concern and help.

Just when he accepted her accompaniment, Cloud noticed a third presence on his other side. He turned to find none other than Vincent gazing at the portal with certainty, his expression hidden beneath his cloak, as usual.

"You too?" Cloud asked with the tiniest hint of a smirk.

Vincent let out a brief sigh. He certainly didn't like the idea of getting involved in affairs of others, particularly when he himself wasn't in any deep waters, but this would have to be another exception. "I have a debt to repay," he replied so matter-of-factly, it was hard to respond after that. Whatever it took, he wanted to bring up his connection to Lightning as little as possible. Though they had made amends, Vincent himself was still plagued by the memories of the acts he committed as Chaos. He was close to ruining Lightning's and, in turn, Cloud's lives, and despite that, the two of them worked hard to aid him in a great battle that threatened to consume his entire being. Traveling to a new world for Lightning's sake was the least he could do on his path to atonement.

Exhaling deeply, Cloud nodded and glanced back toward Tifa, who reassured him of her resolve with a nod. "Reeve," she said while turning to face the commissioner, her eyes pleading for an unspoken request.

He easily got the message and nodded. "I'll call Barret to get the little ones."

And that was that. With the crucial matters taken care of, Tifa turned back and stared into the gold portal with Cloud and Vincent. Traveling to a strange land was overwhelming – what they might run into the moment they step through, no one could say. If Lightning was around, they could have asked for some intel…but for all they knew, they were on their own.

"You can't expect to know what happens over there," Reeve warned in a dark tone, making the potential threats all the more real. "Be careful – it's a whole new world…with Jenova."

Cloud took that to heart; there was no time for a joyful reunion…not until he was sure Lightning was safe from harm. As soon as he took the first step, Tifa and Vincent followed suit toward the gold light. Gradually approaching, they felt their ears ringing with a high buzz, the scent of fresh water quickly disappeared, and the gold light transitioned into white for the longest time.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was how incredibly fresh the air was. Even near Wutai, where no reactors were allowed to siphon, every breath had a twinge of rust and waste. The vibrant green trees and grass were no illusion, and the clear blue waters by the coast were definitely clean. Above their heads, birds and insects chirped and buzzed with life, slightly drowned out by the sea breeze.

Tifa was breathless for the longest seconds, excitement suddenly filling every part of her being. Never before had she seen anything so lively: the earth and plants thrived so well, and the wildlife was in no danger of extinction or the like. "It's beautiful," she breathed out in a whisper, and the others couldn't help but agree.

"This must be Pulse," Cloud guessed as he looked across the lands. If Lightning's Guardian Corps and PSICOM really did exist, Cocoon wouldn't have been as infested with wildlife as what they saw. Great wyvern-like creatures soared through the skies, huge feral monsters prowled the ground on all fours, and from a distance, he swore he saw what could have been a colossal tortoise.

As his eyes surveyed the vast world, it didn't take long to see the sphere of crystal balanced on a pillar. Despite the treacherous jagged spikes and incredibly slim pillar, the glistening continent was a magnificent sight. "And Cocoon's over there." Cloud thought back to Lightning's story of the fal'Cie gods herding thousands of human sacrifices to kill them with a simple drop of their home. Seeing the real thing now, he felt his stomach drop at the vision. So many people dying at once would have been a tragedy; how did Lightning and her friends feel from carrying the burden of either saving or destroying all those lives?

Vincent's turning around got their attention, and they did the same to watch the gold portal gradually evaporate into nothing. Not even a small glimpse of Reeve or the church could be seen before it all disappeared, vanishing along with all other traces of their home.

"We on our own now," Vincent said as he looked back at Cloud and Tifa. His survival instincts kicked in, evident in his hard crimson eyes when they surveyed the land. "First thing's first – let's find civilization."

Tifa's appearance deflated at the suggestion. "And go all the way to Cocoon?" she asked while turning back around to face the continent. Though it was big in size, the distance between them and Cocoon was still great. Furthermore, judging by the smooth pillar, it didn't seem like they could gain easy access without getting caught.

"Lightning said it's crystallized all over," Cloud explained as he searched the world before him. "I doubt many people are living there." Stepping forward, he realized they were reaching the edge of a cliff that towered over a beach. Plenty of wildlife freely roamed around, survival of the fittest being the obvious number one rule here, but none of them were able to pass the chain-link perimeter spanning the beach. His eyes shifted over to see many huts forming a small village by the seaside, creating a relatively peaceful safe haven…that seemed to be void of life.

"Look – a village by the shore," he indicated with a nod. Tifa and Vincent drew closer for a better view, and they too took note of the lack of inhabitants. Luck seemed to be on their side, even with just about five minutes into Pulse.

With the tiny hint of a smirk, Cloud turned back to them. "Let's check it out."

As they retreated to find a way around, nothing stopped them from marveling at how true Lightning's words were. The land of Pulse was certainly captivating – from the endlessly streaming waterfalls to the intoxicating smell of fresh nature, it was a miracle Lightning never complained for a whole year on the Planet. For a while, Cloud wondered how people thought Pulse would be such a vicious world, not even thinking of venturing out of the once-floating shell.

But he'd know soon enough.

When they worked to safely shuffle down a steep slope, an abrupt rustle of leaves was heard just behind Tifa in the rear. All three instantly spun on their heels, weapons drawn and fists brought up. The bushes immediately fell silent, and only rapid heartbeats could be heard pounding in their ears. With no exposure to any wildlife yet, it was impossible to say what was waiting in the shadows, hoping to tear them to shreds.

Cloud slowly trekked back up the hill to reach Tifa, ready to take her spot and become the main target. His eyes never left the still bushes, anticipating an abrupt strike as his hand tightened around the hollow blade on his back. In his chest, his lungs disobeyed his will and erratically contracted, and his ears were drowning in the sound of his pulse.

It was enough of a distraction to let a canine creature spring out and collide into him. A large muzzle with razors for teeth snapped just inches away from his face before Cloud leaned back at the last moment, but it didn't stop the monster from pushing him back to tumble down the slope.

"Cloud!" Tifa was moments away from rushing after him before she heard a fierce growl from the bushes. Holding her ground, she waited until a second of the same creature lunged at her. Just as it tried to swipe at her with its glistening claws, Tifa spun on her heel, faced the opposite direction, and grabbed the wolfish monster by its scruff. Using the last of the momentum in her spin, she hauled the creature off its paws and hurled it into the air, its whimpering cries briefly sounding before three bullets from Vincent's gun tore into its chest.

As they tumbled to the bottom, Cloud kept his hold on the hollow blade until their speed finally decelerated. When he felt them reaching to a stop on the grass, he threw the wolf to the side and got to his knees, the hollow blade fully unsheathed for him to plunge it into the monster's gut.

Meanwhile, the others up on the slope had no chance for a breather. Another wolf leapt out and charged toward Vincent, who saw the attempt beforehand and leapt high into a tree's branches. Tifa's focus was on the snarling wolf, and they circled each other for the longest seconds…until a sphere of ice came from the same bush and struck her like thousands of needles. Pain was quickly turning into numbness, and a thin coat of ice wrapped her arm like a sleeve. She fell to one knee with an agonizing gasp, using her other hand to touch the unbearable layer threatening to freeze her limb to death.

With quivering breaths, she peered back toward the bushes to find even stranger creatures with tiny bodies and wings that flapped with such pathetic effort. No eyes could be seen on them, but they seemed to float closer to Tifa as if they could sense her with ease. On her right, the wolf couldn't take the delay any longer, and it rushed forward to claim its bite of fresh meat from her body.

A flash of black and red obscured the vision of her imminent death, and sturdy arms swept her away from becoming lunch. Once he skidded to a halt just a few feet away, Vincent whirled his arm back with Cerberus in hand, taking aim before drilling a hole in one of the smaller creatures' figure.

Just when they thought they had a chance of gaining the upper hand, more bat-like monsters came out to the field, some heading toward Vincent and Tifa while others bounded toward Cloud down the slope.

"The things with wings can cast magic!" Tifa cried to warn him, and he took note of her words as he steeled his body and mind for concentration. He clenched his hand into a tight fist, his eyes focused on the monsters as he waited for that initial spark of energy…but nothing appeared.

With a small growl, Cloud knitted his brows tightly and tried to focus more, to reach for that knowledge and power resting within his forearm. He tried to imagine bursts of flame or bolts of lightning lashing from his palm, bringing the foes down in no time at all…and yet, not even a small billow of mist could be conjured.

Panic shot through his veins just as one of the smaller creatures coughed up a ball of flames, its trajectory aimed straight at him with surprising speed. Cloud leapt back before the sphere could collide, and he reached behind into the holster to pull out the main blade.

"Materia aren't so great here!" he shouted back at the others. Tifa's visage was coated with horror as she struggled to maintain distance between herself and the monsters. The prickling sensation in her arm got worse by the second; if she waited for too long, she may as well say goodbye to her limb.

Luckily, one of the winged creatures spat out a ball of fire and directed it toward her, and Tifa was grateful for the opportunity. Reeling her frozen arm back was strenuous, but she made sure there was enough strength to use it in defense against the fiery ball. The heat instantly melted the layer into water upon contact, and before Tifa herself could get critically singed, she spun on her heel once more and charged toward the monsters.

They seemed to have multiplied in the midst of Cloud's discovery, but that didn't stop her as her fist shot up in an uppercut to launch the first winged creature into the air. Tifa used the momentum to pivot on her heel and launch a back kick into the next one in line. One after another, her attacks were strung up in an unbreakable chain as she effortlessly took them out with the most fluid movements. She definitely wasn't one to be underestimated in regards to versatility, and anyone back on the Planet was sure to confirm that.

Though the creatures multiplied, Tifa noticed how some of them dropped dead before she could even reach them, and only when she drew close did she notice bullet holes ripped into their carcasses. Glancing up above, she gave a brief nod to Vincent before finishing the last of the monsters closest to them.

At the bottom of the slope, Cloud flourished the hollow blade and threw the winged creatures to the side like flies. He rushed to neutralize them all in little time, but the final enemy took the chance and called upon its inner powers to form a great fiery sphere. It was too far out of his reach to stop the monster from releasing the fire, and given its higher position on the slope, Cloud had to dodge it at the precise angle and maneuver his strike differently than usual.

His eyes quickly glanced up at the top of the hill…and Vincent's gaze instantly caught his own. In the few years they had known each other, it was amazing how well they had gotten along; Vincent never thought of living out his days of immortality away from the dank cellar beneath Shinra Manor…until Cloud appeared and saved him from true darkness. Their tactics had grown to be similar, in that they would instantly devise complementary ways of battle and strategy.

In an instant, Vincent whipped the muzzle of his gun toward Cloud and pulled the trigger, making sure the bullet was aimed precisely. Before Tifa could even comprehend what was happening, Cloud raised the hollow blade and held it across his torso, angling it in an odd way that didn't make it parallel to his position. The bullet ricocheted off the blade with an ear-piercing screech, but it was worth the faint ringing in the eardrums when the bullet tore through the winged monster's tiny body. At first, the monster swayed lightheadedly, the sphere still attached to its body as it swayed to and fro. Within seconds, it finally fell back and released the fire, aiming nowhere near Cloud and sending it up into the clear blue sky before giving one final twitch.

Once they were sure all the enemies were permanently down for the count, Vincent and Tifa skidded down the hill to regroup with Cloud, who tiredly sheathed the blades back in the holster. "So materia are duds?" Tifa guessed with reluctance, hoping not to be a bearer of terrible news.

Vincent felt an unusual strain in his forearm as he pulled his materia out, holding it in his palm as he noticed how dull its core was. "They must need to be in contact with the Planet to call upon its powers." Figuring that it was no longer useful, he chucked the sphere to the side, not even bothering to watch it roll into the bushes and disappear from view. He let out a subtle yet audible sigh. "In this place…things will be harder."

Cloud growled under his breath as he turned around and pulled his own materia out of his forearm. As he tossed them away one by one, he hesitated when the gold materia weighed in his palm. It was unknown if it would give them some hope down the road, but he didn't feel right in letting go of the one thing that brought them to this new world.

Nonetheless, no effective materia meant no magic, and from what Lightning had told him long ago, only those with the cursed mark of something called a l'Cie had the ability to use it. It truly was survival of the fittest now. Cloud figured it wouldn't be so different from if they were wandering around the Planet with no materia…

But then again, they didn't have to face Jenova with nothing but their weapons and meager strength. What's more, there were hundreds of monsters out there that they had virtually no intel on, along with any other aspects of Pulse that Lightning failed to mention in the past year.

Cloud sighed at their predicament, feeling as if they had gone back to square one all over again. They were sitting ducks, and at that moment, it was like their chances of saving Lightning drew closer to zero than ever before.

"Right," he muttered as he tucked the gold materia away. "What else is new?"


	4. The First Meeting

**The First Meeting**

The village was eerily still as they approached - something they quickly noticed. Taking precaution, Cloud took the lead and hid beneath the ramp that connected the cliff to the sandy beach. He peered through the planks, his eyes locked on the open space in the perimeter fence.

"You think anyone's in there?" Tifa asked in a low voice.

Cloud sighed. "Can't say for sure. We're probably gonna have to pay a little visit." As he spoke, there was something about the small village that grabbed hold of his attention, refusing to let him to continue on after such a cursory glance. His eyes trailed over to the small pier directly in front of the largest building that could be seen, a vague familiarity jabbing at his memory.

"_**My sister and I lived in a seaside city called Bodhum. Nothing like a refreshing sea breeze."**_

His eyes widened as it struck him. "This is Bodhum," he muttered almost inaudibly.

From behind him, Tifa instantly recognized the name. "You mean Lightning's home?"

Cloud nodded as his feet started dragging him out of their cache. If Lightning could be anywhere, her seaside village would be the first place to search. He presumed the place was built right after Cocoon fell from the sky…and she would be staying here with her sister and friends.

"But why is it empty?" Vincent asked in a wary voice. "There's no one in sight."

The dead obvious fact struck fear in all of them. Bodhum was practically a tourist city. Even if they had relocated to the vicious world of Pulse, being this close to the beach was like paradise. Cloud wondered if Lightning also noticed this oddity…if she was even here at all.

It had only been a few hours since their arrival in the new world, but the quiet normalcy somehow put them on edge. Cloud had pictured dozens of scenarios in his head: fields full of the deceased, the land rotten and barren, or strange monsters mutated from Jenova's alien genome. With everything appearing perfect and in place, it only made them feel that the real danger was waiting in the shadows, waiting to catch them off guard and destroy them when left vulnerable.

"Are they…?" Tifa dreaded the worst, covering her gaping mouth with her hand.

Cloud vehemently shook his head, despite his own fears that wouldn't go away. "We gotta try," he insisted to mostly himself. He needed to believe there was a chance for all of it to turn around…for him to keep Lightning out of danger.

They silently approached the perimeter and stood just a few feet away from the chain-link fence. From what they could see, it wasn't running on an electric current to fend off any trespassers. However, it wasn't a risk they were willing to take.

Picking up a fallen tree branch nearby, Cloud exhaled deeply and stared the fence down before tossing the branch in its direction. It collided with the chain-link fence with a clatter before falling to the ground unscathed, not even producing the slightest spark or zap upon impact.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, he looked back to Tifa and Vincent with a little more confidence than before. "All right. Let's go through."

One by one, they carefully stepped over into the village's territory, their eyes darting to every corner for the slightest hint of movement. The soft sands did well in concealing the sound of footsteps, but leaving them to be seen was like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. As they walked, Vincent dragged his foot heavily enough to wipe away any trace of their presence, hoping that it would buy them enough time to figure things out before getting caught.

"I don't get it," Tifa muttered in a low breath. "Jenova should start sapping the life of everything and turn this planet into a ship. Shouldn't things be…dead?"

"Maybe the cells in Lightning haven't woken up yet," Vincent speculated.

Tifa shot a wary glance over her shoulder. "And if we find her still in control? What then? How are we gonna get her a cure before the Jenova cells take over?"

That was one question that certainly got them stumped. If materia couldn't work on Pulse, they couldn't return to the Planet and to the church's pond…if the Lifestream's essence really could dissolve the Jenova cells inside of Lightning. It was still uncertain what could be done once they reached Lightning. Unless they had a definite way of curing her of the Jenova cells, her days were numbered.

As they drew close to the largest building on the beach, Cloud's expression immediately turned harsh. The village didn't give off the empty dead feeling he expected…

They weren't alone.

Cautious with every step, he peered up the steps and into the building's main entrance, realizing that it was actually a local bar. The ceiling fans were still rotating monotonously, a few glasses remained on the tables occupying the space, and there were signs of at least a few people being present. Naturally, the barkeep would tidy the place up between nights; seeing the disarray made him feel uneasy.

Once Tifa and Vincent were right on his heels, Cloud shot an arm out to block their path, his scrutinizing eyes never leaving the bar in front of him. "Someone's in the bar," he muttered in a low voice before he glanced toward the huts off to the shore. "…Maybe more nearby." Though he saw no one, the sensation crawling up his spine was definite, and he wasn't one to doubt his instincts.

Silence engulfed the village for a few moments…until the sound of falling objects echoed throughout the bar. Vincent instantly turned and fled to the space beneath the bar's floorboards, finding it easy to access, yet sufficient in concealing his presence. Deciding to follow suit, Tifa tugged on Cloud's arm to try and steer him in the same direction. Cloud gave some reluctance, for he hoped that the figure would bring him one step closer to Lightning…

But the sudden memory of Jenova made him think twice. Running into the viral calamity so soon wasn't something he wanted, not until he knew if Lightning and her friends were safe. Giving in, Cloud allowed Tifa to pull him underneath the bar's flooring, huddling close to her and Vincent as their eyes peered up through the floor's cracks. As they held their breaths, the team scanned the interior with limited vision. The main room was still and empty…until movement came from the rooms off to the side.

A young woman staggered to the main entrance, fatigue appearing to strike her body as each step bore some difficulty. She wore a pink sweeper over a white dress shirt, accompanied by a red plaid skirt and high stockings. The scowl on her face seemed to be far different from what her usual expression was – that much Cloud was certain. Despite the unclear view from beneath the floorboards, he was sure his eyes weren't deceiving him; the girl's identity was impossible to mistake. The faint shudder he gave out was impossible for Tifa and Vincent to miss, but they said nothing as the girl began making her way down the steps.

From the residential huts, another figure emerged with some more vigor than the girl. His incredibly tall stature was covered by a beige trench coat, and a black bandanna concealed the top of his long blond hair. As he reached the end of the bar's steps, the man's expression matched the girl's when she approached.

"Did you find them?" she asked in a harsh voice that was surely meant to be used in pleasant tones.

The man shook his head with a growl. "Not yet. Gadot thinks they might have run from the village in the commotion." Together, they turned their heads one last time to give the village one final sweep. "The boss is gonna be pissed."

With a heavy sigh, the girl walked along the sand and briefly glanced toward the space underneath the bar. In the darkness, Tifa's gaze locked with hers for what seemed like the longest seconds of her life. Her heart froze, and though part of it was out of the same recognition that Cloud had, what made her blood turn cold was the familiar look in her eyes that haunted her for years. The irises were tinted a green shade similar to mako, surrounding thin slits for pupils that sent shivers down her spine. Like before, those eyes held cold ruthlessness; crossing paths with the girl wouldn't earn a single ounce of leniency once the moment came.

And Tifa prayed it wouldn't be anytime soon.

The girl's gaze thankfully passed by with little to no scrutiny, and the group let out brief sighs of relief. "We have to hurry," they heard her say when she turned back to the taller man. "If it's not done soon, there won't be enough people left take part."

Together, the pair trudged out of Bodhum's premises, taking not even a final glance behind them as they disappeared toward the continent. Tifa's breaths were more audible, and she struggled to take in more air so as to relieve the tension building up inside.

"That was Lightning's sister, right?" she asked while turning to Cloud with wild eyes. The resemblance was uncanny and impossible to deny, and there was no explanation for saying otherwise.

Cloud swallowed hard before gritting his teeth. "Serah…" Who would have thought that the first people they would meet were the ones Lightning cherished? It would have been natural to have met them in their hometown, but given the circumstances, he didn't expect to find them all right.

At least in the physical sense.

Beside him, Vincent peered out in the direction the two natives had left, checking to see if they were truly gone. "Lightning must have infected them some time ago."

Tifa bit her lip as she followed his gaze. "And who knows how many others she's controlling…"

Vincent's mouth curved into a fixed frown, Serah's words taking an ill effect on his hopes for the future. "Enough people…what for?" Involving a massive amount of victims was never a good sign, and whatever they were planning was to initiate in a matter of time.

Once they were certain the coast was clear, they crawled out from the space beneath the bar and went to trace Serah and the other man's footsteps. As she approached the abandoned huts, Tifa pulled her gloves on before brushing her fingers on anything, making sure to not leave prints or any trace of her presence behind. Meanwhile, Cloud slowly climbed the bar's steps and entered the main lobby, his eyes instantly falling to the scattered crates beside the counter. The Jenova cells may have had a strong hold on Serah's mind, but body coordination was sure to be dwindling as the parasite sucked her life away.

Cloud drifted toward a smaller lounge in the back of the building, where it seemed more like a home rather than a local business. Pictures and decorations plastered the walls and tabletops, and it resembled the feeling of a happy home – a sensation he found to be long lost from him. When he drew close to the pictures with larger frames on the wall, he caught sight of one captured memory in particular, and his chest tightened immensely.

Lightning and the man from before were settled in the bar just outside the lounge, drinks in hand and glancing toward Serah, who leaned in with excitement from the side of the counter. Her eyes held no hint of boredom, and Cloud swore he could see the smallest tug at the corner of her lips. The man beside her didn't seem to be suspiciously close, but Lightning was comfortable enough to regard him as a good companion.

Taking a step back, he could see how natural the moment was; it was a piece of Lightning's life that she was accustomed to and must have missed before ending up on the Planet. It was enough to believe that she had some peace and normalcy before disaster struck…but that thought in itself only made the guilt amplify in Cloud's chest.

For the past year, she had so many chances of searching for a way home before Hojo could inject the cells in her. It was what she wanted from the start – to return to Pulse and live peacefully with Serah and her friends. He remembered that day he showed her mako for the first time…and the brief look of excitement she had when he mentioned the possibility of her returning to Pulse. How quick was it for her to change her mind at the sight of his selfish and pathetic face when he wished she would somehow stay on the Planet with him? If she continued searching, she probably would have figured the truth about Vincent much sooner and found an easier departure from their world.

Instead, Cloud had to make her run in circles, frustrating her with his actions until she ultimately decided to stay with him. It was he who sealed her fate, allowing Deepground to pursue her for a whole year when she could have just been safe before being captured as Hojo's test subject. Clenching his hands into tight fists did nothing to ease the rage churning inside; in the end, he couldn't protect Lightning, let alone her home and the people she cherished. It was difficult to say what Jenova was doing under her skin, but it was enough for Cloud to reach a new low.

"It wasn't your fault."

He dragged his eyes to the side and found Vincent standing at the border between the lounge and the bar. "You did what you could to protect her," his companion continued.

Unfortunately, it did nothing to make Cloud feel better, the scowl on his face growing even greater than before. "And it still wasn't enough," he muttered in self-disgust before moving to walk back out. "I may have redeemed myself for a while with Kadaj…but I got careless again. If we get through this, I'll make sure she won't get hurt again."

As he brushed past, Vincent instantly got the message and turned to stare at Cloud's back. "You mean you'll leave her…forever."

The words rendered Cloud immobile for a long moment as he considered the commitment to them. Getting Lightning to live through this was hard enough, but if he could make her safe again, what then? A simple goodbye and walk out forever, severing all ties once he leaves for the Planet? For a moment, he wanted to take the words back and say the exact opposite – that he wanted to bring her back with him. Hell, maybe even stay here on Pulse so they could be together. Cloud imagined ending up here for so long, thinking that some miracle would bring him to Lightning so that he wouldn't have to carry out her legacy alone.

But everything always came with a price, and he was tired to making others pay for it while he got off easy.

"If that's what it takes," he said in a low voice. If Lightning had even the slightest chance of returning to a normal life after getting the Jenova cells out of her, it was more than enough. He'd back off, make sure she hate his guts, if it meant she would live. Cloud was sure that his mind was made up…

But Vincent was far from assured.

"This sounds a lot like before," Vincent mused. "Only this time, you don't have Geostigma." Cloud saw where he was going with this train of thought, but this scenario was entirely different. When he was inflicted with the stigma, he disappeared to deal with the pain alone, so that no one else had to shoulder the heavy burden and get involved.

Shutting Lightning out of his life meant she wouldn't have to get hurt, and he wouldn't have to watch the one person he cherished most suffer because of him.

Before Cloud could protest, he heard Vincent let out a brief sigh. "Lightning wouldn't have wanted you to torture yourself like this," he continued. "Being the person she is, she'll _always_ be in danger. _We _will always be in danger." The emphasis was hard to miss, and Cloud was once again reminded of how near impossible it was to protect everyone on his own. "That's something you can't change, Cloud. What you _can_ change…is if we live in the end."

He thought of the idea for a long moment, a light suddenly peering through the darkness that gripped tightly onto his heart. Lightning and her friends were gone, but not lost. After witnessing enough losses to last a lifetime, Cloud swore to protect everyone in his sight until his last breath. If he were to fail in saving Lightning, it would be because of falling before she would be struck down, and even then, he'd make sure she had an escape route to survive.

Saving Lightning would definitely be perilous, as always, but he was more than willing to do it.

As he stepped out of the bar, a lone figure was seen in the corner of his eye, and he quickly looked over to find Tifa learning against the side, her face twisted into a perturbed expression. When she turned her head to face him, Cloud noticed the whirlwind emotions coating her chocolate brown eyes: one he could definitely make out was worry, but something else was hidden deep within. He was aware of her tendency to keep her feelings and thoughts to herself, but the small crack that became plain obvious began to worry him, for it was too small to allow him inside and know what was going on.

Tifa suddenly blinked, snapping out of some kind of reverie before shaking her head and walking down the steps. Refusing to look back, she couldn't continue to feed the flames that were growing in her heart, wanting to rush out and take hold of the steering wheel. They were here on a mission, she had to repeatedly tell herself. Even knocking her fist against her jaw had some effect in refocusing her mind.

This was no time to ruin things.

When Cloud and Vincent caught up, the three of them left the empty village and headed toward Cocoon. Their path led them to a gorge thriving with plant life, the sounds of a stream echoing off the cliffs along with the cries of wildlife. One incident had them running into gelatinous creatures, but before the enemies caught whiff of them, Cloud ushered the others to go into hiding. Vincent pulled out Cerberus and shot a bullet straight into the monster's core, but it practically had no effect, and the monster went along its merry way to find some targets to terrorize.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head past his shoulders. Despite their success in the earlier battle, the monsters in this area were going to be tougher without magic. For now, all they could do to survive was to stay out of their field of vision…but their destination was still a ways ahead, and it was unsure if they could last for so long.

Once the gelatinous monsters were out of sight and earshot distance, they left their cache and continued the journey, eventually reaching a sort of base camp settling on a cliff. A large aircraft was left to rust and let vines crawl all around, provisions and vehicular components scattered all around. From the looks of it, the place hadn't been disturbed for quite some time, diminishing their hope just a little bit further.

Cloud stepped forward to get a better look, but it truly seemed like a lost cause. With a heavy exhale, he turned and motioned the others to continue on across the bridge that led to a separate gorge. However, taking his first step forward brought a wary shiver up his spine. Something he needed to find was still here…or something he needed to escape as soon as possible.

He tried to make his steps as casual as possible, despite his hands clenching tightly into fists at his sides. With his gaze locked ahead, Cloud tapped into his other senses to find anything off: the smell of the fresh grass around him, the feel of the steady ground beneath his feet…

The growing whistle of something aimed at his backside.

Fully drawing the main blade in a turn was sure to be too slow; Cloud swiftly tugged at the handle over his right shoulder while pulling it inward, bracing himself as an arrow slammed into the angled blade and ricocheted to the side. The ear-splitting sound caught Tifa and Vincent's attention, but Cloud wasted no time in fully unsheathing the blade and spinning on his heel. His mako eyes flowed with irritation, scanning the wreckage until he found the pink hair and sweeper at the top. In the woman's hand was a sturdy wooden bow, and she lowered it as her jade eyes glared fiercely at the party below.

Cloud felt all the rage instantly dissipate at the sight. The grip on the main blade faltered as Tifa and Vincent rushed up from behind, and he struggled to find words when the girl huffed and jumped down from the plane. "Serah!"

In response, Serah nastily scrutinized him while slowly reaching behind for another arrow in the quiver on her back. "Who are you?" she snarled as she fit a new arrow into the bow. "Why aren't you on Cocoon?"

Tifa shivered at the sight of the cat-like eyes once more, but forced herself to keep calm. "We just came to help…to help you find the people." As soon as she spoke, her pulse pounded against her eardrums. She hoped she was on the right track in her words.

Serah jumped down from the aircraft and sauntered toward the group. Their bodies tensed at her approach, but keeping a cool head was the only way to pass off the trickery. Amongst her clothes of bright shades, Cloud easily spotted the open sore on her left bicep, his eyes narrowing with distress as he saw an all-too-familiar black ooze leak from it. "The escapees were assigned to us," she said skeptically. "Did the boss really send you?"

"Instead of waiting for the escapees to turn into Pulse food?" Vincent's tone was clear and confident; Cloud shot an impressive glance in his direction before quickly looking back to Serah. Her eyes narrowed for a long moment, but the slight relaxation of her expression proved that the logic made sense.

While the scowl remained on her face, she conceded with a nod. "All right. It'll be better if we split up to cover more ground, though. Snow and I will head over to Yaschas Massif and the ruins." She relaxed and returned the arrow to her quiver, allowing the three newcomers to breathe an internal sigh of relief. "You take the Steppe. Send a fire flare to one of the ships to pick you up."

Tifa's brows briefly knitted together, as she realized they must have been short on necessary supplies. It was risky to engage in conversation without knowing everything, but the lack of options made the decision all the more influenced. "Fire flare?" she asked hesitantly, prompting Serah to glare with a huff.

"A fire ball." Her voice was heavy with irritation. "Y'know? To get an airship over here?" She turned back to return to the fallen aircraft. "You'd think they would send someone better…"

As they watched her draw farther away, the man from before suddenly appeared from behind the aircraft, his face cold and hard as his unusual green eyes scrutinized the new guys. Cloud immediately sensed the trouble he feared from the beginning, but it was too late to do anything or get to safety.

"Serah," he warned in a hostile voice, prompting the young woman to stop in her tracks with confusion. The man's eyes never left the trio, who easily picked up on the tension. Panic shot through their limbs; Cloud and Vincent reached for their weapons as Tifa readied to escape their line of sight.

"They're not from here. They're from that _other_ place."

They could see the gears quickly turn in Serah's head, and in an instant, she whipped around to face them. Fury brimmed in her eyes as she reached into her quiver for an arrow. The moment it was fit into her bow, she aimed it straight at the group just before she released her grip, and the arrow disappeared at amazing speed.

Taking not even the slightest chance, Cloud tugged on Tifa's arm and pulled her away to the side. Vincent stayed his ground until the opportune moment, where one second longer could have let the arrow tear through his chest. Instead, he launched himself high in the air as soon as it drew close enough, flipping back while he whipped out Cerberus. Before he could land, three bullets were unleashed from the muzzle, speeding their way to Serah and the tall man.

With the most fluid of flexibility, Serah cartwheeled to safety, instantly fitting a new arrow into her bow. The man merely stepped out of the way, the bullets being mere insects to him, and he smirked as Serah unleashed a new arrow.

Once Vincent's feet touched solid ground, he dashed to the side, finding shelter behind a large boulder. He could hear the arrows ricocheting off the other side, but every one became increasingly louder and more forceful.

Serah and possibly the other man were drawing closer.

Behind a palm tree, Cloud and Tifa used the moment to catch their breaths, finding it difficult to accept the situation they were thrown into. Fighting would certainly help, but it would leave Serah and her companion hurt, something Cloud wanted to avoid at all costs.

At first, the commotion seemed to have been drawn toward Vincent, far from their location…until Tifa's collar was clutched at the back, sweeping the air from her lungs. Cloud was able to see her eyes widen in fright just before she flew out of her spot, dragged through the air by a tremendous force. Craning her neck with much difficulty, she saw the man's contorted face regarding her coldly, his eyes burning with a desire filed with bloodlust.

It took a lot of her strength to bring her arms over her head and grasp his forearm; she exerted the rest of it into swinging her whole body around, allowing her to wrap her legs around his neck. The brief cut in oxygen got the man to relinquish his hold; Tifa took advantage of the opportunity and twisted her body. Like a rag doll, the man tumbled to the ground, with Tifa releasing her hold just before landing in a low crouch.

The man quickly attempted to get back up on his feet, holding his head to shake the grogginess away. The brief respite was enough to be aware of Cloud's downward lunge toward him, and he easily rolled out of the way before throwing a mighty punch in his direction. Cloud raised his sword to try a side sweep, but his opponent instantly jumped a bit too soon…at least, that was how it seemed.

As the fusion sword swept by, the man instantly landed atop the horizontal blade, forcing the tip into the ground as he rushed up to Cloud along the length. Acting fast, Cloud ejected the rest of the sword from the hollow blade and leapt back. The man's weight made the hollow blade give in as it sank further into the ground, but he pounced toward Cloud like a lion catching its prey.

Luckily, Tifa sailed higher overhead, intersecting from behind just before he could land on Cloud, and clutched fistfuls of the man's overcoat on the back. Vaulting over, she pulled with enough force to take him off track and fling him far away. The man rolled across the ground to leave a trail in the dirt and grass just as Tifa landed nimbly before Cloud.

Relief washed over him for the briefest moment, but Cloud couldn't rest just yet. Spinning on his heel, he found Vincent and Serah in a wild dance to get at each other's necks. With little to no distance between them, they relied on speed to come out victorious. Just as Vincent tried to take a swipe with his gauntlet, Serah flipped back, reaching behind as an arrow perfectly slid out and landed in her palm, to land on a boulder before shooting the arrow directly where Vincent stood.

He immediately flipped back as well; once his feet reconnected with the ground, Vincent aimed his muzzle straight at Serah…until Cloud's firm hand steered it to the ground. The confused stare he gave to his comrade was unnoticed as Cloud's main focus was elsewhere.

"Serah," he spoke with a pleading voice. "We're not the bad guys here. We're here because you and Lightning are in danger."

At that, Serah's lips curled into a devilish smirk, sending shivers down the men's spines. "So, you're here to save the boss? Her knight in shining armor?" She tossed the bow to the side but pulled out an arrow, ominously twirling it in her hand. "Tell me, then…what if you couldn't save me?"

Her words cut through Cloud like a knife, blinding him for the shortest of moments before she aimed the arrow toward her gut. On instinct, he leapt straight toward Serah; his outstretched hand grasped the one that clutched onto the arrow and jerked it away as he crashed into her entire being.

Before Vincent could take off after them, a wild yelp from Tifa captured his attention. Spinning around, he saw the tall man wring her neck with one hand, dangling her flailing body over the edge of the cliff. In mere moments, Tifa would be dropped into the chasm below, and her body would probably never be recovered.

"Tifa!" Vincent dashed toward them in an instant, but at the same time, the man turned his body to aim his free palm toward him. A great crimson flame erupted in his palm, but Vincent easily jumped and somersaulted as it sailed underneath, drawing extremely close to the man's position. At the last moment, he twisted his body to plant his feet on the man's shoulders; Vincent exerted enough force to shove the man back.

His grip on Tifa's neck was loosened, expediting her fall below while she struggled to get air into her lungs again. Luckily, Vincent turned back around to glide in her direction; his arms readily stretched out and gathered her before digging his golden claw into the opposite wall of the chasm. The weight certainly took a toll on his grip, and the chipped rocks and dust did nothing to help him focus,

They skidded a few good feet down the chasm until Vincent's boots brought them to a rough halt. Catching her breath, Tifa nodded to Vincent with gratitude before squirming out of his arms, planting her feet on the side of the cliff to pounce back and forth. She quickly scaled up the chasm with all the lower body strength she could muster, moving from the sides in a ricochet fashion. At the last jump, she planted both feet on the side and launched herself toward the man with outstretched arms. Together, they tumbled to the ground, rolling as they struggled to gain the upper hand.

Cloud's fingers wrapped tightly around Serah's wrist, for her hand holding the arrow shook in her attempts to drive it through his chest. In most cases, his next move would be to strike his opponent as swift and hard as possible…but this one exception was difficult to harm. He could see the exact same aggression and determination that he saw many times within Lightning; Serah was hardly any different, though she didn't seem to be meant for combat.

As she thrashed to break free, Cloud barely noticed the gold materia slip out of his pocket and roll toward Serah's torso. Her focus was heavily set on Cloud until she broke out into a cold sweat, her eyes instantly darting to the materia on her left; a nervous growl escaped her lips as she shifted uneasily away with the limited space.

Her concentration faltered, something that Cloud immediately noticed. Following her gaze, he caught sight of the materia and watched as it finally began to glow. He was breathless as he realized how violent Serah was reacting to it…and devised a plan.

With the sliver of opportunity given to him, Cloud wrenched her arm with the arrow to the ground and reached for the materia with his free hand. He pressed it tightly against the black sore on her left bicep, where it was partially absorbed to elicit black and gold waves of smoke. Serah's body stiffened all at once until her head tilted back, her lips letting out a high shriek to make Cloud wince. In a matter of seconds, the last of the black smoke dissipated, and Cloud pulled the materia away from Serah's arm. She gave a final heavy exhale before her body dropped to the ground, her eyes shutting with dark circles underneath.

He continued watching her warily as he got to his feet, wondering if she would come back up to strike again…or if she was even still breathing. Before he could reach out to her, rough cries of struggle sounded from behind him.

"Cloud!"

Spinning on his heel, Cloud found Tifa and Vincent keeping the tall man pinned face-down to the ground, his arms twisted behind him. With both of their strength combined, however, it wouldn't be enough to keep him down for long.

"Got a plan?!" Tifa begged.

In one swift motion, Cloud tossed the gold materia in their direction. "For the stigma!" he instructed just as Vincent deftly caught it with one hand. Vincent eyed it curiously for a brief moment before shoving it toward the sore on the man's forearm, drawing a similar screech from the man upon contact. Tifa growled as she forced him to stay down, huffing with fatigue once his body abruptly fell limp beneath her. Once the last of the black smoke was gone, Vincent dropped the gold materia before it rolled away with a bright glow.

As the field finally stayed still, Cloud's heart continued to race, his eyes returning to Serah in fear. He knelt down and gathered her in his arms, brushing hair away from her face before noticing the breaths making her chest rise and fall. A wave of relief washed over him as he closed his eyes shut, an invisible weight on his shoulders instantly disappearing.

He caught the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, but Cloud refused to allow his eyes leave Serah. "It'll be too dangerous to try and bring them back to the village," Vincent said. "We should set up camp here."

It took a moment for Cloud to recollect his thoughts, and even then, his response was distant. "Okay," he said in a shaky whisper.

From beside the large burly man, Tifa watched Cloud scoop Serah into his arms and turn back to the base camp. This small victory seemed to bring them closer to Lightning…but did they really want to see what had happened to her? If her most cherished family was made to be this volatile, who knew what the Jenova cells had already done to her own body? Behind the curtain of her dark hair, Tifa caught a glimpse of the steeled expression on Cloud's face, and she easily knew about the whirlwind of emotions he tried to conceal.

Seeing Lightning again could have the potential to break down that barrier he worked so hard to keep up…and Tifa couldn't stop the menacing but desperate wish of never finding her.


	5. The Sister

**Uhhhh….I should have expected that kind of response in the last chapter -.- Now, it's not that I'm trying to paint Tifa in an entirely bad light. It's just a little set-up of an overall lesson/theme I'm hoping to express in later chapters. Many of the major characters are going to face their own personal struggles while on Pulse. In regards to Tifa, it's not exactly that she's jealous of Lightning; the conflict runs deeper than that. I'm just showing the surface of that conflict, which will be revealed more later on.**

**The Sister**

When she finally opened her eyes, all she could see was the dark night sky. The stars were barely visible, though their illumination was deemed unnecessary by the fire growing beside her. Her whole body felt like it went through a whole bout with Snow, but she knew he would never do as much as make her wince.

And then she remembered.

'_SNOW!'_

Bolting upright, Serah's eyes widened as her head whipped all around. The last sight she processed was Snow rushing out of the bar, Lightning towering over her sprawled form…until she turned to the fiancé with dagger in hand. Serah's hand flew to her bicep, where Lightning had sliced her skin when she was still wary of the soldier's actions.

What happened after that? How long had it been since her older sister attacked them? Serah bit her lower lip, beating down the uncontrollable sob that wanted to come out. After holding on to the belief that Lightning was alive for so long, Serah refused to even think she had changed so much.

'_L-Lightning.'_ Her head once again whipped around frantically, desperate for answers. _'Where's my sister?!'_

On her other side opposite the fire, a man with spiky blond hair leaned against a large boulder, his head dropping past his shoulders as one arm rested on a propped knee. What truly caught her eye was the massive blade that rested beside him, its gleam sending chills down her spine. Her first natural reaction was to get away as fast as possible, but her scurrying proved to cause a ruckus. The man head instantly snapped up, and deep blue eyes settled on her with surprise.

"Serah." He rolled forward onto his other knee, anxious to approach her, but his movements made her retreat even faster. She crawled away with frightened eyes, her lip quivering as she tried to find words.

"Who are you?" she asked in a shaky voice. "W-Where's Snow?"

In an instant, her eyes caught sight of three figures on the other side of the fire, close to the bridge that led to the Archylte Steppe. Two of them were hovering over a massive form lying on the ground, and it was all too easy for her to deduce who the third person was. One of the hovering figures – a woman – whipped her head back to Serah and rose to her feet.

Assuming the worst, Serah grasped the closest rock she could find and shot up to her feet, raising her arm apprehensively as the woman started making her way to her and the spiky-haired man.

"He's all right," the man assured, though it did nothing to ease the tension. Serah's eyes darted back and forth between him and the woman drawing closer. "Don't move; you should keep resting."

"What do you want with me?" Serah's arm slowly reeled back, preparing to strike at the opportune moment. Her chances were slim; if they were to cause harm, she would have to strike the man first and find another weapon to fend off the woman. And who was to say the third stranger wouldn't hurt Snow to force her to stop?

When the woman was a few steps away from the fire, the man held a hand out to her, signaling her to stop her advances. She did so, but Serah refused to let her guard down as she eyed the man warily. His expression wasn't hard, but instead, he offered a pleading look in his glowing blue eyes.

"I'm looking for your sister, Lightning," he explained in a calm manner. "My name's Cloud."

The mention of his name immediately eased the fright consuming Serah, and her eyes that never left him finally looked at him with wonder and shock. Now that she thought about it, Lightning's descriptions of the man exactly matched the one before her, all the way down to the detailed weapon that still rested against the boulder.

"_You're_ Cloud?"

Thinking quickly, he reached back and pulled out a silver chain with a dangling pendant. In the fire's gleam, Serah recognized the necklace with a gasp, her arm lowering down to her side. The lightning bolt pendant looked no different from the day she first saw it on her sister – a commemoration in her advancements in Guardian Corps. If there was any proof needed that he knew Lightning, this was it.

Serah took slow steps toward the necklace, gazing at it and Cloud with surprise. "She thought she lost it…"

Cloud offered a bitter smile as she weighed the pendant in the palm of her hand. "My fault, I guess. I forgot to return it before she left." He allowed the chain to slide out of his hand and watched as her forehead creased, her mind trying to make sense of everything.

With a humorless chuckle, she looked back up at him in wonder. "She really wasn't making it all up." As much as she wanted to believe Lightning's story, Serah couldn't imagine a completely different world where Lightning had actually lived and experienced a new adventure. Having to deal with fal'Cie and being stuck in crystal stasis was enough; she wasn't sure if she could handle a whole other world aside from her own.

Now that she saw Cloud in a different light, her expression became much softer, almost familiar. Serah's eyes eventually flitted toward the other woman, and uneasiness briefly settled.

"This is a friend of mine, Tifa," Cloud introduced as Tifa gave a light wave across the fire. "The other one is Vincent. We've been here for about a day." His expression then became guarded, cautious about his next words. "Do you know where Lightning is?"

Serah looked troubled once more, unsure of believing her last memories. So much had happened in the little time she was reunited with Lightning, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or frightened.

"W…Why do you need her?"

Cloud hesitated, wondering exactly how to explain it all. "We think she's in danger. If we don't find her soon, and get this to her…" He fished out the gold materia from his pocket, its bright radiance from earlier already dead. "Things might get worse."

Serah's hand immediately went to her bicep, where she felt the slight scar of the cut. She remembered the burning sensation when the golden orb made contact with her skin, as if they were ready to chop her whole arm off.

More of her memories came flooding back at once, and her head began to reel from the overload. Her body swayed, but Cloud reached out and steadied her by gripping her shoulder. "Take it easy," he said gently. When she felt the waves of lightheadedness subside, her eyes flitted back to the gold materia.

"Lightning…" Her voice was layered with worry. "She…She cut her palm before coming after me. Sliced me here…" Serah placed a hand on her bicep again. "And then mixed our blood."

"How long ago was that?"

"…About a month ago." The images were unclear, but Serah made a good estimate of how fast the memories passed by. "And then another month before that – that was when Lightning suddenly came back."

Tifa easily did the math in her head. "So time doesn't flow much differently here."

Serah looked at her curiously. "'Here'….So, you guys really are from another world…the Planet?"

Cloud nodded as he got to his feet. He held a hand out to Serah, who didn't hesitate to take it in honor of his chivalry. "You've heard of us?"

She gave a wry smile. "Lightning told me the gist of it all, but no matter how much more I wanted to know, she shut me down at every turn."

Flushed, Cloud looked away and scratched the back of his head, eliciting a chuckle from both Serah and Tifa. _'So she __**does**__ know…'_

"But to answer your question," Serah said regretfully, remembering their main topic of discussion. "I don't know where she is. After she…cut me…I can't recall ever talking to her. Or even _**seeing**_ her."

Tifa's brows knitted tightly together. "What _do_ you remember?"

In response, Serah let out a bitter chuckle. "Bits and pieces. I kept going everywhere – home, the Yaschas Massif, Cocoon…It was like I was watching a messed-up movie, but I couldn't change the channel or take control."

"But you remember this?" Cloud held the materia up, and Serah nodded.

"It was frying my skin, but it helped destroy whatever was controlling me."

Cloud briefly looked away in frustration before catching Tifa's gaze. Between them, Serah didn't fail to catch the severity of the situation and knew that Cloud's words were true. Lightning was central to the catastrophe she was certain was imminent, and no doubt Serah herself was made a pawn to help it unfold.

Behind Tifa, the other man assumed to be Vincent approached in silence, his bright red eyes glancing toward Serah. "Your friend's starting to wake up," he said in a deep voice. "It should be safe to see him."

Her heart felt like leaping out of her chest, relief washing over her at the thought of Snow coming out perfectly okay. When she took a few steps toward her fiancé, she stopped and spared a quick glance over her shoulder to Cloud, wondering if it was all right to take a break from the Q & A. As much as she wanted to help him, Serah also wanted to be sure whatever Lightning infected them with didn't do too much harm to Snow.

Cloud gave an assuring nod that was accompanied with a hard smile. With every step, Serah felt the small ounces of worry pile up one after another, a sense of helplessness swelling up inside. She hoped Cloud and the others would have a way of saving Lightning…especially after she had just gotten her sister back.

* * *

When Serah was out of earshot distance, Cloud cursed under his breath and paced around his side of the fire, clenching his hands tightly into fists. "So we _are_ too late," he muttered. "Those were Jenova cells they were infected with, and Lightning got to them a whole month ago." It finally seemed ridiculous how desperate they were holding on to hope. When given the opportunity, Jenova was certain to take advantage of a host and carry out its will; as supposedly great as Hojo was, he could have never inhibited its basic instincts for so long.

"Just because Jenova's taken over doesn't mean we can't save Lightning anymore," Tifa assured as she folded her arms, though her worried expression did little to back her words. "Besides, we've got a cure now, remember?"

The thought seemed to ease Cloud's mind, even if only for the slightest bit. If they could get to Lightning soon enough, the materia may rid her of infection, just like Serah and Snow.

"It makes sense," Vincent said with a slight nod. "It's created by the Lifestream, from the very reservoir that cured all the stigma infections."

Cloud's gaze drifted toward the two natives not too far away, and a more pressing issue came to mind. "First things first – we get Serah and Snow to safety. We can't have them come along."

Though very thoughtful, his plan didn't exactly sound wise to Vincent. "Bodhum's not going to be safe enough. More scouts may be sent to look for them."

"We can barely protect ourselves without materia," Cloud argued with a hint of irritation, which wasn't entirely meant to be directed against his comrades. "I'm not dragging Serah down with us when we run into something big and ugly."

Tifa saw both sides making valid points. Even if they did bring Serah and Snow, having a majority of the party become useless in an unknown world was asking for death. Thinking quickly, she looked back toward the people in question and approached them.

"How are you two able to cast magic?" she asked while crouching down to their level.

Snow warily shuffled away from the strange woman, but Serah placed an assuring hand on his shoulder. "Snow, it's all right." Her eyes then returned to Tifa, a small crease erupting on her forehead. "It just sort of happened. A little after Cocoon fell last year, a lot of people suddenly had it in them."

Tifa nodded in understanding. "You think we can learn a trick or two?"

It was Snow's turn to speak up, his voice clear of the drone-like manipulation from the stigma. "You could try, but some of the people here just can't get it." He got up to his feet and faced Tifa with some skepticism; though he was convinced they were acquaintances of Lightning, he wasn't exactly ready to jump on the bandwagon with them as he moved to stand between her and Serah. "Serah and I were lucky enough to be ex-l'Cie to make the relearning easier. At least that's my working theory."

From the looks of it, it would be too long for them to learn magic before saving Lightning. Tifa let out a defeated sigh, but ultimately decided to not let it all bring her down. No magic didn't necessarily mean they couldn't help Lightning. "You two should rest up," she said with a brighter tone. "Maybe we can head back to your village in the morning. We can sort things out over there."

Glancing over his shoulder, Snow waited for Serah's nod before following Tifa to the camp site. He eyed the other two men warily, willing to put his faith in his fiancée's trust even more when he saw the one with spiky blond hair. Lightning's words instantly flooded back, and it took all his willpower to beat down the knowing smirk on his face.

"So, you're _the_ Cloud."

Cloud blinked hard before immediately looking away, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. There was a sudden air about Snow that irritated him, and he was sure it was the same thing that made Lightning at ends with her brother-to-be.

Serah and Tifa were suddenly caught between exasperation and amusement, and it was impossible to say how well this newly assembled team will work…

But so long as they could find Lightning, they were all for it.

* * *

Once the sun returned in the sky, they threw dirt over the fire's ashes and prepared to return to New Bodhum, or so the village was called. Along the way, Serah and Snow brought the others up to speed with a crash course on Cocoon and Pulse. Lightning had taught Cloud of how life was on Cocoon as fal'Cie pets, but true freedom wasn't something she had the chance to experience here before showing up in their world.

"How good are you two with spells?" Cloud asked in the rear of their group. Up ahead taking front, Serah and Snow looked over their shoulders.

"We've been practicing enough since Cocoon fell," Serah replied, her mind going on rewind through the past year. "Some of us are even a bit more skilled than Lightning since she's been gone for so long."

Vincent nodded. "Good. We're gonna need you to take out a few things we might run into." One creature in particular lingered in his mind, and he wondered how much of a threat it would present to their group.

Snow smirked as he laced his fingers behind his head. "You mean the local flan? Those things are a walk in the park." From behind, he heard muffled laughter that made him stop and turn. Tifa pressed a fist against her upturned lips, her shoulders shaking as she looked away. "There something funny?"

Tifa halted as well, trying to compose herself without offending too much. "Nothing," she said without meaning it at all. When Snow cocked a brow, nothing could stop the rest of it from spilling out. "Just…you like to talk. Lightning was right about you."

At that, Serah broke out into laughter alongside Tifa. The young bartender always thought Lightning's opinion of Snow was a little narrow-minded, but it was surprising how on the mark she truly was.

Snow scratched the back of his head as he shot an incredulous look toward his fiancée. "Hey, come on, Serah. Thanks for backing me up." He looped an arm around her shoulders and roughly dragged her along as she continued her giggling fit, Tifa trailing right behind.

Not too far back, Cloud's gaze lingered at the scene, slightly taken aback by how calm and easy the mood suddenly became. Considering that it was Jenova they were dealing with, he expected a sense of loss and hopelessness to ensnare Serah and Snow. Instead, they kept their chins up and continued on, refusing to let despair cripple them.

"She seems to be handling it all well," Vincent suddenly said beside him. "You still think we should leave the two of them at the village?"

Cloud released a small chuckle, somehow amazed that Vincent could read his thoughts when he least expected it. "You're probably right," he finally conceded. "They'll be safer with us, and I won't let Serah get hurt."

This was his chance – the perfect opportunity to take back the pain Lightning had to endure. It would be the one last thing he could do for her before walking away, never looking back to give any more burdens. If he could protect Serah and bring her sister back, this last sin would be forgiven…and he wouldn't have anything else to wish for.


	6. The Confession

**The Confession**

New Bodhum's shores were the same as they had left them – clear, calm…and void of inhabitants. Needless to say, the whole area was evacuated, and only one explanation made sense in their minds.

"Gadot?" Snow called out as he rushed up the steps of the bar. Though his voice was clear, his face betrayed the attempt to hide his fear. "Maqui?"

Serah gently placed a hand on his arm, her own face mirroring his anxiety. NORA had become a whole new family to her, and when Lightning returned, it finally felt like her life was complete. The first month with them together was a dream come true, but she finally arrived at the notion that all dreams had to end one way or another.

From behind, Tifa followed them up the steps to the entrance. "When we came by, it was only you two that were here, when you were…" She didn't have the heart to finish, knowing that they had enough terror in their lives for the time being.

Nonetheless, her words brought a shiver up his spine, his mind venturing in the endless possibilities of the possession. "What exactly did we do here?"

Cloud shook his head to try and make sense of it all. "You talked about there not being enough time – that your "boss" wasn't gonna be too happy." He felt there was a crucial piece to the puzzle they needed to solve, that it was so close…but it relentlessly taunted them by staying out of reach.

As they slowly crept into the bar, Snow took careful steps on an invisible trail, his feet approaching and circling around random spots. His head whipped back and forth, and with a sudden gasp, his eyes expanded in shock.

"Snow?" Serah followed him anxiously, unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

As his eyes flitted around, flashes of memories erupted in his head, an incomplete movie with terrible editing. Snow watched a scene in a tilted point of view, as if he was lying on the floor, while the rest of his friends and bar patrons were assaulted by someone he thought he could trust. Armed with a knife, moving at the speed of light, she didn't need to take advantage of her relationship with the ones she called her family. Cold glowing eyes locked on with every target, and she made her way to make the contagious blood bond with anyone within reach.

Snow's hand reached up to brush against his arm, where a healing scar remained with wretched memories. "Lightning came through here," he explained in a shaky voice. "…She cut me first then went after the others so fast…"

It would have been so easy for Lightning, but to think she could actually do such a thing clenched Serah's heart. She knew her sister wouldn't do anything to harm even a hair on her head, but the image of Lightning rushing at her with the very knife she had given as a gift was too much. Serah fell into the closest chair, her eyes glassed over as her mind was at a loss.

By the entrance, Tifa grimaced at the sight. She used to think her and Cloud's lives were messed up to hold a record, but this new world wasn't as different as the Planet's. They all had their own form of suffering and chaos plaguing their lives, and it was far from over. A twinge of guilt stabbed her chest; could they have done anything to prevent this?

What if they were able to bring Lightning back here before Deepground got involved? Was the happiness they shared with her worth the sacrifice of turning back time and finding a way to safely return her to her rightful place? Tifa shot a small glance out of the corner of her eye…and saw the exact same thoughts mirrored on Cloud's face.

After taking time to recollect their thoughts, Snow and Serah decided it best to pack provisions and salvage what they could for their journey. If they stayed in New Bodhum for too long, other people who may have been possessed –or whatever the hell happened to them - might follow them to turn things ugly, and with the majority of the team lacking the literal firepower, they may not even stand a chance.

Eventually, Serah found herself cleaning up the mess littering the bar, probably on instinct from their day-by-day living. Aside from teaching at the newly constructed school, she helped Lebreau tidy things up while the boys handled the wildlife surrounding their new village. Even with NORA gone, she shifted back into that easy routine so smoothly that once she realized what she was doing, a heavy sob got caught in her throat, her body freezing just as it picked up an overturned table. Not too far away, Snow took notice and gently ripped the table out of her grasp, hoping to ease her out of the despair that tried to restrain her. Tifa and Vincent silently joined in to assist with the clean-up; neither had to ask about Serah's sudden pale complexion and distant gaze to understand what was going through her mind.

Once Serah took a deep breath to calm her nerves, she looked toward an almost-invisible Cloud, who leaned against the doorframe separating the small lounge from the bar. He angled his head into the direction of the bar, his eyes fixated on the photographs hanging on the wall. While his face was relatively blank and composed, it wasn't hard to sense the melancholic aura that followed him everywhere, no doubt sprouting from the guilt he refused to let go of.

Taking a chance, Serah casually approached him and leaned to the side to catch his attention. Once he blinked and turned toward her, her lips pulled upward at the corner.

"Matching earrings, right?" she said while pointing to his left ear. It took a while for her to notice the silver wolf dangling from his earlobe, but as she approached, it caught her eye when it glistened in the sunlight coming into the bar. "I saw it on Lightning the same day she came back."

Cloud let out the smallest chuckle as he straightened up. "Yeah. It was nothing much." It must have been silly to get it for her that night in the Gold Saucer. He recalled the rush of emotions he went through as they rode the gondola, when he wanted to have no regrets when it came to Lightning.

With a knowing smile, Serah nodded before a curious thought popped into her head. "How was it for her? To be on the Planet for a whole year?" After traveling the vast lands of Pulse, going to a completely new world must have been overwhelming. She tried imagining it – a place where there were no fal'Cie, curses, or crystallized people – but then again, she still had yet to see what all of Pulse had to offer.

"She adjusted pretty well," Cloud explained with a twinge of pride. "Got a job as a soldier – even led her own team."

The smile on Serah's face brightened, and for a moment, she forgot about all the worries piling up in her heart. "And she was happy." It was easy to deduce from the stories Lightning told about her year away from Pulse – the excitement and wonder weren't mere exaggerations. Every time she would mention Cloud, a warm smile appeared, even if it was for the slightest moment; that was enough for Serah to figure that Cloud was someone her sister needed in her life. Even with her friends here where her home was, Lightning was sure to never completely open up unless someone could break down the tough wall.

As soon as she was relieved that Lightning had found some type of happily ever after, the air around Cloud thickened, darkness shrouding his features once more. Any remaining hint of positivity drained away, and his smirk was frightening.

"I _thought_ she was," he said in a voice that was almost too low to hear, the gleam in his eyes instantly fading away when he shifted his gaze away from her. Serah's eyes widened as her smile vanished. Despite the happy memories her sister shared about Cloud, his thoughts seemed to show very different sides to them. Serah wondered if anything had happened before Lightning came back to Pulse…if there was any more despair left to weigh in her sister's heart.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind her, prompting Serah to turn and find Snow approaching them with provisions slung over his shoulder. "We should get going," he said, ignoring the remaining clutter spread throughout the bar. "You ready?"

Cloud was fluid in his retreat, walking past them toward the entrance without as much as a glance over his shoulder. Biting her lip, Serah wished she could talk to him longer, to assure him that her sister still cherished him regardless of whatever passed between them.

"Uhh…yeah." She quickly nodded to Snow with a ghost of a smile. When he turned to regroup with the others, Serah was about to follow suit when a paper atop the bar counter flapped in the incoming gust of wind. Kept down by a tipped over bottle of wine, it writhed in its imprisonment until Serah walked up and held it down flat across the counter. Her eyes scanned the advertised content, her forehead slowly but surely creasing.

"Hey, Snow?" she called out. "Look at this."

Curious, Snow returned and followed her gaze, reading the flyer. Off to the side, a sketch of Cocoon resting on its crystal pillar was being approached by an airship and a long trail of figures. What irked him the most was the headline that was in bold at the top.

"'_In here lies paradise'_?" Snow scoffed. "Right. Cocoon's heaven on Pulse."

The joke didn't ease Serah's worry. Once the truth about the Sanctum fal'Cie came out, it was relatively common for everyone to abhor the lies the Sanctum fed them. This was at the top of their list of deception, and it was too sick of a joke to repeat the vipers' words.

"This isn't right," Serah told him with certainty. "What if this has to do with everyone disappearing?"

Snow considered that possibility before snatching the paper from her hands and heading out of the bar. As Serah followed, she watched him hand the flyer to Tifa, who curiously took it to examine. "Look at this."

Tifa's expression mirrored theirs. "_'In here lies paradise'_?"

Nodding, Snow pointed up into the sky behind them, where the once-floating continent stood on its crystal pillar. "Yeah. Cocoon."

"Maybe someone made the flyer to lead people to Cocoon," Serah suggested.

After glancing at the paper, Cloud turned to Snow and Serah curiously. "So you haven't seen this before?"

Together, Snow and Serah readily shook their heads. "Not once," Serah answered. "Even after Lightning came back."

"After Cocoon fell down, a lot of people came and made a living on Pulse." Snow folded his arms across his chest. "Sure, there was the wildlife to deal with, but everyone managed, what with magic and all. Those who stayed on Cocoon didn't make much of a fuss, and life was pretty much smooth sailing."

"Pulse is a little rough," Serah continued. "But it's not hard enough for everyone to go off and run to Cocoon just for safety."

From behind Cloud, Vincent absorbed this new information to try and connect the pieces. Not soon after Lightning came back home, an alert had been sent out to retreat to the place where everyone was treated as fodder. If they truly valued free will, the people wouldn't have gone crawling back to a place full of horrific memories…unless they had no other choice.

"Cloud."

He managed to get his friend's attention and walked back to get out of earshot distance from the others. Cloud followed, getting the message and stopping right after Vincent.

"What if this has to do with Jenova?"

The mention of the alien matter stirred anxiety. Cloud shot a wary glance over his shoulder before turning back. "You really think so?"

Vincent was unsure of how to back up his claim, but with the knowledge he had to go with so far, it was all he could think of. "When those two were infected with the stigma, they went out and did terrible things, I'm betting."

"But the stigma just makes you weak," Cloud assured, speaking from painful experience. His mind wandered, sifting through the endless possibilities that not even people from the Planet had yet to discover. "Maybe it wasn't just stigma, but something stronger."

"A new strain of some Jenova infection?" Vincent suggested incredulously.

"You told me before – Hojo did all kinds of experiments with Jenova cells. Whatever he did to Lightning must have made the cells stronger." Cloud was still questioning the logic of his thesis. Hojo very rarely unveiled his research to even Shinra Company; had they stayed longer on the Planet to sift through his research, they might have found more background to pull from.

Before they could brainstorm any more ideas to go with, Vincent and Cloud heard footsteps coming up from behind. They turned to find Snow trudging up, a hard expression marring his features, while Serah and Tifa followed worriedly.

"You know something," he said matter-of-factly, his eyes locking with Cloud's fiercely. Even with him towering over, Cloud stood his ground without an ounce of discouragement. "What exactly was it that Lightning infected us with? You guys should know. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come all the way here."

Serah tugged on his arm, worried over the anxiety that clouded her fiancé's better judgment. "Snow, they're here to help us. To help Lightning."

He stayed his ground, but didn't fight against her either. "But I wanna know _exactly_ what's going on. I've learned my lesson – enough charging in, guns blazing." Nevertheless, he took Serah's urging to heart and eased up on the tension just a little. Snow's stare directed at Cloud now held more determination than rage, and his shoulders relaxed the slightest bit. "What are we dealing with, and what's going on with Light?"

Now more than ever, Cloud knew he couldn't keep the two of them in the dark any longer. Lightning would have been furious to know that her sister and brother-in-law were dragged in to this mess, but either way, they were going to be in danger. Being with him and his comrades was just much less of a risk, and he was glad to take it over the alternative.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Cloud conceded with a nod and faced Snow's glare. "We're here to save Lightning…because she's infected. At least, as far as we know." He tacked on the last part when he saw a wave of distress wash over Serah, hoping to lower her anxiety in any way possible. "In our world, there's an alien matter called Jenova that travels to planets and saps the life out of everything."

"And now it's in Lightning?" Serah asked reluctantly. Things started making sense: if she needed to get to others, blood contact was the way case for transmission. Her fingers ghosted over the healing scar on her arm, remembering the surge of pain that coursed through her veins, as if some invader was ready to take control.

Snow had gone through the same experience and shuddered at the memory. _'Sis is controlled by an alien. Great. Another puppeteer to ruin our lives.'_ Shaking his head, he tried to focus once again. "So the endgame is…"

Behind Cloud, Vincent folded his arms across his chest. "This planet – along with everything and everyone in it – dies."

Serah's chest tightened at the idea, her breaths coming out in sporadic fits. "You think…You think Lightning's…?!"

Tifa hurried to lay a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder. "There's a chance she'll make it through. Those who are strong enough can defeat it, if they want to." She casted a comforting look to Cloud, but he refused to accept the compliment, not when one of their own could still be struggling with the same predicament.

Snow grimaced, wanting nothing more than to make Serah happy and make sure Lightning was safe. "So, what do we do now?"

Cloud sighed, looking back the way they came, his eyes scoping the mountains and eventually Cocoon. "From what you guys said when the Jenova cells took over, it sounds like you used to work for some organization for something. You'd send out fire flares to call for an airship."

An idea quickly sprouted in Snow's head, a smile eventually forming on his visage. "Airship…Airship! We can take an airship to Cocoon – figure out what's going on."

Vincent easily found a flaw in the plan. "What if we find others who are infected? We could be running into a trap."

"I don't think we have any other choice," Tifa said with defeat. "It seems like everyone has to be on Cocoon, or so you guys said when you were infected. Staying out here and waiting for others to find us will lead us nowhere."

Cloud nodded, seeing Tifa's logic clearly. Wandering around Pulse, where there were little to no inhabitants anymore, could hardly get them the answers they needed. If they were to find Lightning and free her from Jenova's control, they had to reach out and find clues.

"Right," he conceded. "But we still need to lay low. Can't tip anyone off that you're clean of infection. We should go on foot to get to the airships."

"They're docked in Oerba," Serah explained. "The place with enough parts and space to maintain them."

"Our route?" Vincent inquired.

"Back the way we came and then west through the Archylte Steppe."

Snow let out a heavy sigh, worry lines creasing his forehead. "We're gonna run into some really big nasties on the way – all with different kinds of vulnerabilities. Some can be taken out with a quick spell, others might need your expertise." He nodded to Cloud and the sword on his back, thinking it would be good enough to at least slow down the Behemoth Kings…until they turned bipedal.

Taking his advice to heart, Cloud nodded, bracing himself for the dangers that were to come. If they ran into more people controlled by the Jenova cells, the gold materia could hopefully get the job done, but flying straight into what could possibly be enemy territory was a great risk he had to take.

They already made good progress in the two days they had spent on Pulse…but it didn't stop the fear that time was running out for Lightning, and Cloud could see his greatest fear approaching to ensnare him.


	7. The Fal'Cie

**The Fal'Cie**

In due time, the team managed to reach the base camp and continue onward to the Archylte Steppe, where nothing but green grass and tall cliffs could be seen under the open sky. Of course, there was the wildlife threatening to challenge their progress; the newcomers' eyes widened immensely at the size of a strolling Adamantoise, all the while making sure to stay out of the keen eyes of Gorgonopsids.

A chocobo grazed by the nearest lake, looking at them with surprise before darting off in the opposite direction. Its frantic sprint caught the attention of Gorgonopsids nearby, and they gave chase to ultimately take it down as their prey.

"Brutal," Tifa observed with a grimace.

Snow nodded. "Survival of the fittest," he simply explained. "That's why we keep a perimeter up around the village." He recalled the first time he ever stepped foot on Pulse, how brutal his training was along with the other Pulse l'Cie. In the Ark on Cocoon, the monsters they battled were just the tiniest sip of what awaited them when they arrived on Pulse, where everything was untamed and full of vitality. They evolved not only physically, but mentally as well, which proved to be crucial in their fight against the fal'Cie.

Cloud understood how Lightning adopted her fierce determination and fortitude. If she had to survive in a world like this, she had to be willing to go any distance…especially if her sister's life was on the line. After the death of her parents, reality must have hit her hard, but the harsh environment she was forced to live in must have blinded her from fulfilling her family duties properly without shutting everyone out.

Following Serah's directions, they started westbound, where a broken tower was seen in the distance. Serah herself took the lead, pointing out interesting landmarks along with Snow…until they started walking past a butte not too far away from the Font of Namva. Before she could complete her trek past the rock formation, a heavy paw slammed into the ground not three feet from where she stood, eliciting a shriek of fright from her lips. As she stumbled back, her eyes widened and looked up to see a ferocious Behemoth snarl in her presence, its bloodthirsty eyes taking in its abundant prey.

"Serah!" Snow rushed to grab her arm and pull her back, away from the monster; Cloud stretched an arm out to usher them toward the back of their party.

Tifa joined Cloud's side, quickly pulling her gloves out from beneath her duster. "Should we run?!"

"I don't think that's much of an option at the moment," Vincent said.

Cloud unsheathed the main blade from his holster and held it at the ready, facing the Behemoth as its mighty roar pounded in his ears. He charged forward with his sword high above his head, only to bring it down once he was sure to make contact with the monster's hide. Relentlessly, he sliced into the thick skin, hoping to bring it down soon enough…

But this strong defense proved to be challenging. Before he could weaken the Behemoth to a good threshold, a mighty swing of its front paw slammed him into the butte, and Cloud dropped to his knees as his sword fell out of his hands.

Tifa sped toward it, fluidly avoiding its swing as she slid across the ground. Just a jaw's snap away, she was moments from becoming creature chow, but her hands grasped tightly onto the tassels whipping about from its figure, careful to avoid the menacing canines. Once the Behemoth thrashed around once more, she used the momentum to swing up into the air, planting her feet on its back and keeping her hold on the tassel to steady herself.

Now furious, the Behemoth became restless, lurching to throw Tifa off its back and exposing part of its soft underbelly that was kept hidden in its quadruped form. Vincent saw it as an opportunity and took aim, only firing when he was sure Tifa wasn't at risk of getting hit. Three bullets exploded from Cerberus' barrel, and they easily sunk in to the monster's skin upon contact.

As it began to stagger, it was clear debilitation was settling in, though it didn't lessen the bloodlust emanating from its growl and eyes. Tifa raised her arm up and struck down with the butt of her palm, aiming for what could have been the nape of the Behemoth's neck. The blow was enough to bring it back down to its forepaws, almost collapsing to the ground altogether; Tifa managed to let go of the tassel and jump off before the impact could jilt her standing.

By then, Cloud was able to shake the cobwebs from his head and grasp his sword once more. He rushed to the Behemoth again, keeping the blade low for attack. Once Tifa was sure to be out of harm's way, he skidded to a stop and swung his blade upward with as much exertion as he could muster, dragging the monster up by the tip and flinging it toward the skies.

Cloud leapt up to follow it and pulled out a back blade from the holster. According to Snow, these things had to be dealt with as swiftly as possible, or else they would evolve into a much stronger form that could wipe them all out. Once he was at the same level as the Behemoth, he refused to hold back; he first struck with the back blade to carve into the softer underbelly, following with the main assembly to dig deeper. Cloud continued with the pattern in rapid successions, for he knew that gravity would inevitably uphold its laws in a matter of moments. When he felt that the creature was soon to descend toward the ground, the back blade was locked back into place before he raised the sword high above his head.

His muscles tensed as he swung down, the force compelling the Behemoth to shoot straight back down into an explosion of dirt and grass. Landing just a few feet away from the monster, Cloud breathed heavily through his nostrils; he must have gotten rusty over the last few months, and an exercise like this proved to be helpful. The Behemoth's limbs twitched with last bit of neural activity left before ultimately dying down, leaving its guts to spill from the carvings.

"Pretty slick moves you got there," Snow praised as he and Serah came up. He eyed the monster with a raised brow, impressed with Cloud's strength despite the lack of a l'Cie's powers.

Cloud's gaze flickered to Serah and grew concerned while sheathing his swords. "Are you all right?"

In response, she nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Thanks." If the monster hadn't taken her by such surprise, she could have felt determined enough to join them in the fray. For the past year, she trained with Snow and the NORA team to be as steeled as her sister. If it had been something as simple as the Alraune back in Vallis Media, it would have been no problem, but with what was to come ahead, she needed to get used to facing these levels of danger…and soon.

Sensing the little twinge of embarrassment, Cloud smirked and placed a hand on her head, eliciting an even warmer smile from Serah. They had only known each other in a matter of days, and yet he felt like he had a younger sister to take care of – someone he absolutely couldn't let down.

The group continued on, catching sight of a Sahagin party of three that seemed to wander out of the Font of Namva. At first, Cloud and his comrades readied themselves for a second fight, but Snow held him back with a hand on his shoulder.

"These guys are weak to fire," he explained. "Let Serah and I handle this."

They maintained a safe distance from their quarry – close enough in range, but sure to not be seen or even heard. Serah fitted three arrows on her bow at once, aiming at a high trajectory angle in the air while Snow held his palm out to summon a fireball. With a quick nod, Snow tossed the fire ball at the aqueous opponents, and by the time it was halfway there, Serah released the arrows to follow.

The middle arrow struck dead into the fireball while the others traveled side by side with it, sailing over and ambushing the Sahagin party with dancing flames. The middle fiery arrow struck the middle Sahagin, consuming it to inflict massive burns and spreading the flames across the area. Naturally, the other two creatures would have fled from the danger, but the other two arrows pinned them down to the ground, leaving them to writhe and wait until the embers were caught on them.

"Well thought out," Vincent mused. Serah and Snow turned to grin, happy to know that the tactics they developed could come in handy. Cloud nodded in agreement; strategy was definitely going to be to their advantage, and he was glad Serah was able to think on her toes, like her sister.

As they drew closer to the gorge, they stopped by the nearby lake, resting enough for the troubles that were to come once they descended into Mah'habara Subterra. All the while, Tifa observed how natural everything was in the world around them. Pulse was free of rule from any government or company that sought to exploit resources; everything was alive, rooting deep into the soil as if the land truly had a pulse.

Taking a deep breath, Tifa spread her arms out and fell back, landing in the soft grass that tickled her skin. She felt a presence drawing close to her side and sit down; peering out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cloud gazing over the lake and terrain, taking it all in like she had done.

"I could get used to living in a place like this," she mused.

Thinking otherwise, Cloud turned his head to see a roaming Megistotherian followed by a trail of Gorgonopsids. "Of course," he replied with a smirk. "Let's all stay in the middle of these plains and wait for something to chomp on us."

Tifa sat up cross-legged and wrapped her fingers around her ankles. "Ha ha," she retorted drily, prompting both her and Cloud to chuckle in unison. The moment retrieved a faint memory stored deep inside, staging the two of them back in 7th Heaven on what could have been any average day. Cloud had revealed his knowledge of her conspiracy to draw him and Lightning together, fishing out the dark emotions Tifa sealed away in her heart.

Before the past year happened, Tifa and the others worked hard to bring some light into Cloud's everyday life, to draw out the warm and positive person they knew was buried under the torturous memories of growing up under Shinra's rule and in Sephiroth's shadow. This was the man they wanted to befriend, to call a comrade and give help when all hope was lost.

She had Lightning to thank for this change, for if she had never shown up, it was impossible to say if Cloud would have ever opened up. If Tifa had any say in the matter, she would have wanted Lightning to come back with them when they found her…

But Cloud still thought otherwise.

Clasping her hands together, she wondered how to approach the subject, knowing that she was bound to push the wrong buttons.

"When this is all over...will we have to go back to the Planet? Like what happened with Lightning when Chaos was destroyed?"

She noticed his back stiffen, his answer lingering in his throat. It was obvious he hadn't thought about it – or rather, refused to think about it – and what was to come with the ultimate choice he had to make.

"I can't say if saving Lightning will force us to go back," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But either way, it's probably for the best. Keep everything in perspective and not mess up the natural order."

'_An excuse to get out of it,'_ Tifa thought angrily. He was opting for an easy reason to make the choice for him…for Lightning. His conversation with Vincent back in New Bodhum pounded in her ears. All that was on Cloud's mind was saving the one person that meant so much to him, his own happiness be damned.

Tifa clamped a hand around her fist to keep it from visibly shaking. "So willingly?" Even with the silence, she got his answer. Her eyes sent daggers that pierced into Cloud's backside, but he still refused to properly face her.

"Cloud…" She fought to keep her tone even. "You keep fighting for what's best for everyone else. You're helping Serah get her sister back. You're helping Lightning be free of Jenova's cells. Saving everyone and the whole world is so natural to you. How about saving yourself?"

By then, her voice had raised an octave, startling Cloud as he finally faced her with a creased forehead. "Tifa—"

All she could see was him holding his chin up and doing what was "right" for the people he cherished. Though noble, what did that leave him with?

"Why don't you just be selfish for once?" She moved to crouch on one knee, beseeching him with frantic eyes. "Are you really going to face Lightning with the intention of leaving her once this is all over?"

It was Cloud's turn to shoot her an exasperated look. In his head, he had already gone through this fight many times over with himself, and every time, there was one factor that stood above all the rest.

"This was what she wanted in the first place," he started in a voice so low and deadly. "Lightning wanted to be with her sister and friends, and now that she's back here, you expect me to ask her to come back to the Planet? She's suffered enough because of me, and this all started because I was selfish enough to want her to stay!" Vexed, he shot up to his feet, turning from Tifa and pacing away. Cloud cursed the day he took Lightning to see the mako fountain, when he compelled her to make the decision to stay on the Planet. With this weighing against him, there was no reason to continue the crusade of bringing Lightning back.

Sighing heavily, Cloud closed his eyes, only to open them when he stared up into the vast sky. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get in the way of his goal. "As long as she lives, I'll deal with whatever she wants."

Tifa gritted her teeth, feeling like her heart wanted to burst out of her chest. Time and time again, she had to watch the two of them be martyrs – their choices had pure intentions, though no happiness was bound to come out of them. If they continued their journey through this new world, who would say they would end up successful?

"…But what about what I want…?"

She only noticed that the thought came out when Cloud curiously turned back to her. Catching herself, Tifa vehemently shook the thoughts out of her head, clamping her lips shut while avoiding his gaze. She was supposed to leave it all in the past, looking forward while hoping that Cloud and Lightning would find their slice of heaven within each other. The battle against the dark regret in her heart was faltering, and if she didn't keep it in check soon, it would threaten to sabotage their mission…and everything she held dear with Cloud and Lightning.

Before either of them could break the silence, rapid gunfire sounded off in the distance, begging for their full attention. Armored soldiers appeared from a slope near the cliff; some had automatic machine guns while motorcycle-like mechanisms darted toward them at the speed of light.

Vincent shot up from where he crouched by the edge of the lake. "We've got company."

Up ahead, Snow cursed under his breath. "Damn. It's PSICOM!"

Serah immediately ran into his arms and watched the oncoming soldiers with worry. "What if they're infected?!" she speculated frantically.

The thought hadn't escaped Cloud's mind. They could be the cavalry Serah spoke of when she was under the influence of the Jenova cells, and now they were on the hunt for whatever delayed their scouts. From what Lightning told them back on the Planet, the PSICOM branch of the militia wasn't one to fool around with; one wrong step could lead to game over.

"Come on!" He spun on his heel and darted in the opposite direction. Prowling wildlife that they could easily avoid was one thing; a whole army out for their blood was far too dangerous, especially if they were intent on plaguing them with Jenova cells.

Tifa and Vincent waited until Snow and Serah passed them before following right behind. Throughout their sprint to an invisible safe haven, Vincent whirled around for a second or two to riddle their pursuers with bullets, successfully taking down at least one soldier or artificial-intelligence bot every time. Likewise, Snow and Serah constantly threw balls of flame over their shoulders to hopefully reduce their numbers, but nothing could slow down their pursuit.

Cloud whipped his head back and forth, desperate to find a way out of this mess. Once PSICOM caught, the Jenova cells could be just a fresh slice away from overriding their minds. To the left was a ledge that led into a passageway, and where it led wasn't an issue they had the time to discuss.

Steering the group toward the ledge, he braced himself as he spun on his heel and slammed back into the face of the cliff. He stacked his hands atop each other, palms face-up. Not too far away, Tifa's eyes locked with his, the formulated plan instantly passed along. She nodded just before exerting more energy into her sprint, her focus solely resting on Cloud's outstretched hands. Going to the max at the last second, she planted her foot on his palm, prompting him to throw her up above his head. Tifa immediately grasped the ledge to pull herself up, steadying herself before waiting for the others.

As they neared, Snow brought Serah forward and held her waist, lifting her up toward Tifa's ready hands. Together, they worked to haul her up before Snow, with his tall stature, merely leapt on his own to grab onto the ledge. Cloud waited for Tifa and Snow to each throw out an arm to haul him up, while Serah started retreating into the passageway as PSICOM drew closer. From behind, Vincent made sure that the army's front line was decimated before making a break for it; in one bound, he grabbed hold of Cloud's outstretched arm and finally joined the rest of team to retreat into the shadows.

None of them dared to glance back and check if the army managed to follow them. Their hearts pounded in their chests and ears as they raced through some winding passages, where sunlight barely filtered through for assistance. The air grew chill with the flick of a switch, and once they saw their own breaths in front of their noses, the group slowed down.

"Did we lose them?" Serah asked, anxiously glacing over her shoulder.

The army seemed to be the least of Tifa's concerns. "Where are we?"

"We should still be in the Steppe." Snow's brows knitted tightly together. The passageway certainly stopped to arrive at a smaller field, but any trace of daylight disappeared, and all was still as the night surrounding them. "The hell is this? It was broad daylight just a minute ago."

Vincent went ahead of the others, stepping out to search through the darkness everywhere. Curiously, his gaze drew upward, and what he saw made his nerves bristle.

"You two ever see _that_ before?"

Surprised by his tone of voice, the others followed him onto the field before looking up along with him. Amidst the blackened sky, a cloudy spherical form stood guard in front of where the moon should have been. Pale moonlight was forbidden to grace the mountains around them, encasing the Archylte Steppe in darkness.

Serah's eyes widened at the sight. "What is that?"

"You don't know?" Cloud asked.

Snow shook his head, taken back by the anomaly. "No. Where did it come from?" Though he tried to remain calm, its appearance made him wary. Its colossal size drew up one simple way of identifying it, but the explanation that he came to was nearly impossible. For as long as they existed, new fal'Cie hadn't appeared on either Cocoon or Pulse; the annals archived within the Sanctum said the newest fal'Cie would appear in at least 200 years.

Even with her little knowledge, Tifa knew when to read the bad vibes she got from it. "I don't like it." She felt like the entity had eyes trained on them, watching their every move and waiting for some opportune moment they couldn't foresee.

Behind a boulder just a few steps away, a new Behemoth emerged from the darkness, its eyes taking in the team just like the monster from before. Cloud drew the main sword from his back, stepping up to stand beside Vincent and his readied handgun. All their eyes were trained on the monster before them, failing to mind the strange stirring in the sky ahead of time.

With no warning, the entity in the sky shifted, black tendrils shooting out toward the ground. They laced around the Behemoth's limbs, consuming it in a black shroud as it roars inevitably died out. Meanwhile, the team's hold on their weapons faltered, disturbed by the turn of events.

Snow followed the trail of tendrils back to the sky; a small glimmer poked out of the entity that appeared to be their savior. Refusing to relax, he dug into the recesses of his memory when the scene felt all too familiar. The glimmer grew as the black smoke surrounding it cleared up; moonlight seeped through as brief flashes caught his eye…and stopped his heart.

Color draining from his face, Snow agitatedly reached out for Serah's arm, clasping onto it tightly as his feet began stumbling backwards. "That's…" His heart beat furiously in his chest and ears, almost rendering immobile from preventing what was to come. If it had awakened in their presence, the entity only wanted one thing.

"_THAT'S A FAL'CIE!_"

Though instinct told him to make a break for safety, Cloud's mind couldn't reach his muscles, reeling at the thought of confronting a fal'Cie god that treated humans like cattle. From the beginning, he hadn't imagined seeing one at all; focused solely on the Jenova cells, he didn't even consider the natural dangers of Lightning's world. In an instant, he knew exactly what was to come with running into a fal'Cie –

A curse.

While the black tendrils easily dealt with the Behemoth, the now-revealed crystal glowed brighter, as if absorbing the very moonlight it tried to block. The light was blinding, painful to their eyes as they flinched at the sight of it. They felt the ground disappear beneath their feet; any screams fell upon deaf ears while the air held a twinge of stagnation all around them.

The longest seconds had passed before the light dissipated, and they were left in an endless space filled with darkness. In the distance, the crystal was still visible in its faint glow. The smallest movement could be heard, anxious breaths easily depicting their wracked nerves. Cloud feared the worst – that it was all a mere transition into the afterlife, a sentencing where there was no Lifestream to return to. Bells tolled the coming of death all around. While there was no pain, he could sense the anguish over their plight. This wasn't a situation anyone would wish to find themselves in.

Turning his head, he could see the others not too far away, shocked and disturbed as he was. Tifa's gaze caught his own, and she desperately reached out to regroup. Cloud stretched his left arm out toward her, knowing it was best to get everyone together before potential separation...

But another bright flash bathed them in light, marking the arrival of a colossal figure in their presence. Mechanical cogs were manufactured into its arms, which were the lowest part of the monstrosity they could visibly see. A part of its face was concealed; a glowing eye was turned toward them with a sense of appraisal, as if sizing each of them up.

'_What the…?'_

A horrible shudder echoed through the darkness, easily recognized as Snow's. "No…No!"

Despite his refusal, bright tendrils erupted from the colossus, much like the fal'Cie they encountered not five minutes ago. This time, the appendages glowed in a pale blue shade, shooting straight for the group with no hesitation. They looped around their limbs mercilessly, tightening to ensure their hold while their prey struggled with zero chance.

Cloud found it impossible to tear his eyes away from the giant – he was a mere marionette forced to watch the events unfold before him. Brighter streams of energy sprung forth: one for each of the victims it restrained for the inevitable fate. At the speed of light, they rushed to attach with everyone in the group, fixed on a part of their bodies. Helplessly, Cloud watched a stream shoot straight for his left bicep, bathing the pink ribbon in pale blue light until a searing pain stretched across his skin. For the shortest moment, his entire arm felt like ripping off altogether, but as soon as it appeared, the stream of energy dissipated, leaving him debilitated while the cries of the others rang in his ears.

The restraints immediately slackened, and he was left to fall into an unknown abyss as the strangest images flashed through his eyes. Like a broken film, everything was difficult to decode - chaotic destruction laid waste upon a vast plain. Broken shards of crystal flew all around them…

A familiar woman raised her extended sword toward him, her pale aqua eyes burning with tragic determination. More flashes of unclear images tried to obscure his view – pale blond hair, the shedding of blood, Cocoon towering over their heads – but the sight of the woman that lingered in his heart was sure to mean something important, if not disastrous.

"_**Kill me."**_

* * *

**Finals week is drawing close, so this will be the last update until it's all over. Now, I know y'all would want kill me for leaving a cliffhanger, but this is my chance to be diabolically evil (mwahahahaha), so I hope I'm successful.**


	8. The Reunion

**The Reunion**

The cold afternoon breeze shot needles into his skin, dragging him out of heavy slumber. His eyes opened to a deep orange sky, the height of the cliffs casting shadows across the field. Slowly easing himself up, Cloud shook the grogginess out of his head before he took in his surroundings. Demolished buildings were centered in what seemed to be ruins, appearing undisturbed for decades or even centuries.

For the longest moment, he felt like he had woken from a dream – he never made it to Pulse, Jenova hadn't really infected Lightning, and all was supposedly right in the world. Cloud wasn't any closer to seeing Lightning as when she first left after the fight in Midgar. A heavy weight settled in his chest, chastising himself in falling for this vivid dream, giving in to foolish hope. Giving in to wishes was dangerous, let alone waiting for a miracle.

'_Damn it, get it together.'_ Still, it irked him how oddly vivid his dreams were. Was lack of sleep to blame? He had to get back to the bar soon, or else Tifa and the kids were sure to worry. Though he had been keeping a strong chin up, Cloud knew the others could see the signs of silent depression, and he needed to make it better for everyone's sake.

Getting up on his feet, he looked around to search for his bike, intent on returning to Edge right away…

Until he noticed a familiar woman lying just a few feet from him.

"Tifa!"

In quick strides, he knelt down beside her, gently resting a hand on her back as she began to stir. Her eyes tiredly opened to find Cloud, her limbs sore but otherwise all right. Rising to her knees, she delicately held her head to shut out the oncoming migraine.

"What happened?" she let out in a strained voice.

He shook his head, clueless. "I don't know."

Once it seemed like a wave of nausea passed over inside, Tifa took a deep breath and lifted her head. "Is Serah all right?"

The mention of her name drained the color from Cloud's face. He whipped his head to the side, eyes anxiously searching…and sure enough, the young girl in question was stirring not too far from them. Snow had already regained consciousness and went to help her up, untaken by the presence of Cloud and his friends.

"It wasn't a dream," he muttered lowly to himself. A flicker of ecstasy burst through his chest; his hopes weren't entirely dashed, and he was still on the path to getting closer to Lightning. Breathless, he helped Tifa up to her feet, his mind reveling in the fact that he had almost fooled himself with despair.

Cloud quickly reviewed any memory he could muster of their time on Pulse. New Bodhum. Vallis Media. The base camp. The Archylte Steppe…and a strange monster.

Anxiety washed over his features while Serah and Snow approached him calmly. Vincent appeared beside Tifa, his expression hard and troubled. A sense of dread left a heavy knot in his chest, and despite the relatively safe appearance of the others…he couldn't fight this feeling.

"Everyone all right?" the gunslinger asked.

Serah nodded, trying to assure even herself that they were safe. "All in one piece."

Tifa let out a sigh of relief – whatever had happened to them, she was glad no one was harmed. Her chocolate brown eyes shifted toward Cloud beside her until something caught them, embroidered deeply for her to see. As soon as she saw it, her brows knitted tightly together, a heavy dread emerging in her chest.

"Cloud…what's that on your arm?"

The shakiness in her voice grabbed his attention, and he immediately glanced down to where she indicated. Just beneath the pink ribbon, a fresh new tattoo emerged from his skin: intricate patterns of arrows atop each other in layers. Cloud's mind wandered in a daze, lost in finding a logical explanation. Was the monster they saw somehow responsible for this marking?

Gripping his upper arm, he grazed a thumb across the mark in hopes of rubbing it off…but when it did nothing, a choking sound was caught in his throat. The sight instantly reached into his darkest memories, the times when he felt like ending his life altogether just to be free of the pain. Geostigma was impossible to rid before the incident with Kadaj, and now he was struck with something in this new world.

"No…"

Looking up, he saw Snow observing his own left forearm, staggering back with immense fear that coated his voice. An identical marking was embedded into his skin, arrows and all. Cloud watched as he clutched Serah's upper arm and held it up just enough to see the exact same brand in a position similar to Cloud's.

Just as Snow released his grasp, Serah's eyes widened before she got a better look at her arm, her bottom lip visibly quivering. Snow clutched his head with both of his hands and paced back and forth, and a growl erupted into a snarl.

"No, no, _no_, _NO!"_

Tifa struggled to think back, to solve the strange sense reminding her she was in the same loop as the rest of them. With a quick gasp, she got down on one knee and pulled down the side of her shoe, and sure enough, the same brand as the others was etched onto her skin. She rubbed her palm vigorously over the surface, but her efforts ended in vain.

"What is this?" she let out in a bare whisper, already feeling shackles encircling her ankle to claim her as property.

Serah finally pulled her eyes away from her brand, but they were too distant as they searched for some unseen lifeboat. "A l'Cie brand," her shaky voice explained. "We…We ran into a fal'Cie…" Like the others, she fought to figure out exactly where they were taken. The strange abyss was identical to the place she fell into when she was first cursed, though where it was still remained unclear. Forget the fal'Cie – Serah wanted to know what that colossal figure was…and how it was linked to the brands it gave them. She was certain it wasn't the same fal'Cie they met in the sky; it was the same figure she saw a year ago, the same one that jumpstarted the fall of Cocoon.

Digging into the recesses of his memories, Cloud grasped a single memory he shared with Lightning...

A single incident in the room they shared, where they were just two people conversing on any average day…where they listened to stories of dark pasts.

"_L'Cie?" Cloud asked curiously._

_Lightning nodded her head resting against his chest. She was too fatigued from the WRO's duties, but being in his arms was more than enough to relax her stiff muscles. "Servants to the fal'Cie that fed and nurtured us like pets. They were either praised as heroes…or hunted down. It just depended on what kind of fal'Cie branded you."_

_He let out a small chuckle. "I'm guessing the people weren't groveling at your feet when you served the fal'Cie." Though it was meant as a petty joke, Lightning didn't give a single scoff or response. Instead, she remained frozen in his arms, trapped in the past she struggled to endure. Looking over, Cloud saw a dark shadow pass over her features, his chest plummeting at the sight._

"_Hey." He shifted to prop himself up on an elbow, and Lightning did the same while averting her eyes to the sheets. "Was it that bad?"_

_She was hesitant to answer, reluctant in digging up the scars she had to bear. "It's not just being shunned by everyone else," she explained in a bare whisper. "One day, you're just naturally talking to them. Your friends laugh and have fun with you. Your team handles it just like any other day." As she continued, Lightning's expression went from bad to worse, unable to restrain the pain threatening to overflow. "And then the next…they forget that they ever knew you. They all take up arms, threaten to kill you…or maybe even skip that part and try it anyway. Just mentioning l'Cie can cause panic."_

_As Cloud took her words in, Lightning let out a heavy sigh to release the tension she built up within herself. "Try saving a world that's against you," she retorted with a tight pull on her lips. "Trust me, it's not easy."_

_Meeting her gaze, Cloud expressed every ounce to remorse he had with his earlier comment. "I'm sorry." When Tifa fell from the bridge in Nibelheim, he was greeted with ostracism and exclusion. Being alone was one thing – being hunted down for something out of your control was debilitating and tragic._

_Lightning merely shook her head and gently laid a hand on his cheek, assuring him that there was no weight to be placed on his shoulders. "I got through it. That's all that matters. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here with you."_

_Despite her words, Cloud knew it was a past she couldn't forget. The strength she gained from saving Cocoon came with a price, and if she came to the unlikely chance of being branded again, he feared Lightning would fall apart altogether._

The light in his eyes gradually simmered down, his hand fiercely gripping his bicep until circulation was constricted. Cloud's eyes washed over the group with disbelief; it was difficult to imagine any of them being so different from the rest of the population with new tattoos embedded on their skin…

And yet, once their brands were seen, they would be relentlessly pursued until blood was spilled.

Vincent's own hand rested on his chest, remembering exactly where the fal'Cie's energy branded him underneath his garments. "So…we're l'Cie, huh?"

Just hearing it brought dread into his heart. Cloud dared to peer down at his bicep, and the clear black brand taunted him with his fate.

"We're cursed."

Snow's jaw remained taut, deep breaths flowing in and out of his nostrils. No matter how he saw it, the brand was exactly the same as before, as if he never completed the first Focus and got the mark off to begin with. The new guys were still in a state of shock, and he wasn't going to wait until the realization hit them with full force. "All right," he said in a clear tone while resting a hand on Serah's shoulder. "Let's stay calm and figure this out. What's our Focus?"

The assurance to stay calm wasn't easy to follow. Tifa exchanged anxious glances with Vincent and Cloud "Focus?" she asked helplessly. Worrying about saving Lightning was hard enough, but they should have known better than to neglect the dangers of her world while traveling to find a common enemy. "Is that something for a l'Cie? Can't we just get rid of these?" Tifa shook her ankle, as if the brand was a foul plague she wanted to be rid of immediately.

"We're gonna need a miracle," Snow growled as he looked toward the Faultwarrens. What bothered him the most was the appearance of an all new fal'Cie, and how everything changed just before the branding. Had it not been for the strange night sky and airborne fal'Cie, the passage of time between now and their run-in with PSICOM would have been natural. Fate had dragged them back into the bloody fold of fal'Cie and Foci; he wondered if any of this was just mere coincidence…or if all of it was preordained from the beginning.

Beside him, Serah traveled through a whirlwind of emotions, from shock to fear….ultimately arriving to absolute terror. She thought she finally escaped the horrors of completing a Focus, but history always had the habit of repeating itself, much to her disappointment. As Snow tried to explain to Cloud and the others, a bolt of fear surged through her, much like her first branding, only now her Focus was to…

"I can't," she whispered harshly, her knees buckling under her light weight. Receiving a Focus unwillingly was the easy part, but what she had to do to complete it was far from what she had in mind. "Why?!"

Serah collapsed to her knees, and all eyes drew to her with worry. Snow could sense where the distress was coming from, but this was the last thing they should be concerned about…for Serah's sake.

Falling to her level, Snow tried to gather her into his arms as sobs began wracking her chest. "Serah! Calm down. Please." Despite his request, it was impossible to stray from the inevitable fate they knew with becoming l'Cie. "You're just gonna make it faster."

Vincent listened intently, realizing that the marks on their persons weren't something anyone would wish for. "These things come with a time limit," he speculated aloud. "And they're linked to that weird dream, aren't they? You saw it, too?"

With a fierce growl, Snow rose to his feet and grabbed fistfuls of Vincent's cloak. His eyes bore a harsh glare, daring the man in red to say another word. "Yes!" he roared in Vincent's face.

Vincent immediately backed down, averting his gaze with apology for a quick moment before steadying it. Once Snow saw his gesture as sincere, he released a heavy sigh along with Vincent's cloak.

"Sorry," he uttered with mind-wracking fatigue. "It's just…stress can shorten our time limit, and the brands will change."

"Change?" Cloud's gaze slid toward Serah's brand, imagining a doomsday clock hovering over it. Watching her be sentenced to an inescapable task made him feel even more helpless, and he was once again reminded of how easy it was for the people around him to disappear.

Snow's eyes darted across the ground as he tried to get a good grip on some composure. "We've been given a Focus - a job that we have to complete in some amount of time those bastards didn't specify. What we _do _know…is that the brands will keep changing until it's too late." He exhaled loudly, reality hitting him all over again now that history has repeated itself. "So, what we can do is keep a cool head so we can figure out how to fix this."

Looking back to Vincent, he leveled a stare that hopefully ran a message across. Understanding, Vincent nodded – being a l'Cie was the last thing Serah probably wanted on her bucket list. Stressing her with the nature of their plight was only going to make matters worse

Tifa fell to her knees and gently drew Serah close, trying to comfort her in the best way possible. Figuring out their Focus, and completing it in time to top it off, was without doubt a challenge on the body and mind. Even now, it took all of Tifa's energy to keep from falling into despair, and now she had to make sure Serah and the others wouldn't do so either.

Likewise, Cloud clung to the notion of keeping a clear head through it all. Staying in shock wasn't going to do them any good; they had to keep going, regardless of their new task, if they were to save Lightning.

But then…who was to say their Focus still ensured Lightning's safety?

His gaze slowly turned to Serah, searching through the layers of distress to find the source. In the time he had known her, Cloud found her to be just as strong as Lightning mentally and emotionally, always deciding to keep up the fight in the end. If there was something that could spook her this badly, it had to be the Focus they were all given…and there was only one way he was able to interpret it.

Kill Lightning? Was his purpose really to sabotage the entire journey? There was still so much he had yet to learn about being a l'Cie, but given Serah and Snow's reactions, their actions here on out had to made carefully, and the ends of the roads were less than likely to turn out in their favor.

Walking toward the girls, he held out a hand for Serah to take, his eyes gentle and concerned. Serah accepted his kindness and took his hand, rising to her feet along with Tifa, who stood close by for support. "Let's just get back to the camp, and we can figure out what to do from there."

More than anything, Serah wanted the nightmare to be over. Everything started when she walked into the Pulse Vestige with the fal'Cie Anima; would everyone be safe and sound if she hadn't been so curious that day?

Nonetheless, they had to keep going, and wallowing in despair was only going to get her turned cie'th. Lightning went to hell and back to save her and the world; she wasn't going to let her efforts be in vain after all this time.

With a nod, Serah allowed a tiny smile to grace her lips. Cloud's resolve was as strong as her sister's, making it easier for her to trust him to make the right calls.

The optimism, however, turned out to be short-lived as strange echoing bellows emerged from the ruins not too far from where they stood. Turning on their heels, the team watched as strange creatures emerged in stumbling gaits, slowly honing in on them like bloodhounds. Crystallized structures encased their bodies, which were deformed in unimaginable ways. One feature that seemed to be common amongst all of them was a red eye staring out menacingly, wide and all-seeing.

Serah let out a fearful cry just as Snow came to stand before her, intent on protecting her from the monsters. Cloud and the others stared in horror, not only at the sight of the creatures…

But how similar the markings on their chests resembled the party's new tattoos. With a hanging jaw, Tifa made an easy assumption and realized what Snow referred to as being "too late". She had seen the abominations Hojo created as a result of his experiments, but the transformation into these things appeared to be natural over a passage of time.

'_Is…Is this what we're gonna become?!'_

In the midst of her trance, Tifa failed to notice one of the shambling monsters drawing toward her, its deformed arms swinging in anticipation. Cloud's eyes widened in shock just before he reached behind his back for the swords.

"_Tifa!_"

Diving in front, he raised his swords in a crossing motion, barely propelling the monster's limb from slamming into his face. Upon impact, Cloud knew his strength wasn't enough to keep the monster at bay; he was lucky to hold up until the blades were caught in the crag-like arms, instantly ripped from his hands with a fluid motion.

The staggering power forced him back as he glared at the monster, knowing that nothing stood in between them now. With limbs large enough to turn them into pancakes, it was only a matter of seconds before both him and Tifa would fall, and their journey would end in vain. Cloud's chest grew heavy with vexation, cursing the path they had taken. With every action they took, it drew him farther from Lightning, from saving her and righting his final sin. Saving the people he cherished was one thing, but knowing that he failed the most important person to him was unbearable.

In an angry roar, Cloud clenched his hand into a tight fist before taking aim at the creature before him. A familiar sensation coursed through his veins, surging from his bicep until it shot out at the end, blasting the monster with vicious flames. Intense heat blasted his face and arm, but it hardly scarred him; it was like the fire was an extension of him, naturally spewing from an inner power rather than being manipulated from a borrowed materia.

The monster flew back from the force, falling back to the ground as Cloud and Tifa gaped. Cloud felt the brand emit a tingling vibe, as if it could instantly respond to his will. "Magic…"

"We really are l'Cie," Tifa exhaled as she watched Cloud's brand emit a white glow. Based on Lightning's stories, she wildly expected them to take on some abnormal form; if l'Cie were once feared by the common folk, surely there was an obvious aspect that forced them into a panic.

But they were more or less the same. They all still retained their humanity, the only difference being that they could wield magic.

The fire in Cloud's palm quickly died, and the light in his brand dissipated. Deep within, he could feel a new fire bursting to life, glimmering in his eyes with renewed hope. The strength of a l'Cie was a great one, and if he could find a way to properly wield it, maybe he could use it to help the others…and eventually help Lightning.

Not too far away, Serah and Snow threw thunder bolts and ice shards that appeared to be stronger than before. With a single flick of her wrist, Serah called upon a deadly bolt to surge through one of the monsters, and it dropped dead in a heap. Snow swung his arm across to shoot icicle spears straight for the monster's crimson core before rushing up with a flurry of punches.

Meanwhile, Vincent held his own with precise aiming. One shot after another, he was able to strike the creatures to slow them down just before summoning a sphere of flame to make the final touch. Silent and calm, he usually manages to keep a clear head to figure out what to do, and Cloud was lucky to adopt a bit of that trait in the last few years.

This new power bestowed upon them proved to be useful, especially not in just magic alone. Tifa fearlessly lunged toward one of the monsters and threw a punch down on its shoulder, forcing it to the ground without a scratch. Adrenaline rushed through her body, eager to protect the friends she kept close…and loved…

The team managed to cling to hope and keep up a front, but for every creature they felled, another took its place. Reinforcements seemingly poured from the ruins in an endless stream. Power came with a price, and as the pile of the fallen began to grow, the l'Cie felt their energy begin to wane; not even their weapons could make up for the energy they had lost. Cloud had to put all his focus into keeping a grip on his sword, leaving him to watch the monsters approach until it was too late to retaliate.

A figure slid into his periphery out of the corner of his eye. Throwing another small fire at the large cie'th closest to him, Cloud spun on his heel, his sword at the ready. He couldn't afford to deal with two fronts simultaneously while keeping a cool head.

Luckily, this newcomer on the nearby ledge wasn't going to be a problem.

A pink glow emanated from the figure's center, attracting the attention of some of the cie'th giants. It launched out into the open sky; one shot from the figure, and the pink glow exploded into a strong gust of wind. Dirt and rocks flew around, keeping the team from attacking the cie'th any further.

Cloud shielded his eyes as an armored being sprung forth from nowhere; rose petals danced in the wind within its presence. A two-bladed sword was kept by its side, opposite a full arm shield.

Serah instantly lowered her bow and gaped at the sight. "Odin!"

The name was familiar to Cloud and the others, but they had never seen the summoning this way before. Its appearance was more mechanical than how they remembered, serving as a reminder that not everything was the same between their worlds.

Fearlessly, the stranger jumped off the edge and toward Odin, who shot an arm out at the ready. Swinging his torso, Odin tossed the stranger back into the sky a few feet before it began somersaulting down to the surface. A flash of pink and red whipped through the air, and even from their distance, Cloud and the others knew who it was.

'_Lightning.'_

Not one strand on her head had been changed. She looked the same as she had only two months ago…but something in her eyes indicated a heavy burden that almost made her unrecognizable. The scowl was incredibly tense, reminding Cloud of the first night they met in the slums church, when he ran into that hard exterior refusing to back down. In her hand, the Blazefire Saber extended its blade, glistening in the orange hue of the sunset.

The heaviest breath escaped his lips at the sight of her, relieved that she was nevertheless the same as before. For days, he clung to the guilt that she was doomed by his actions, but like before, it was going to take a lot just to keep Lightning from backing down from a fight.

In one fluid motion, she flipped her weapon into its gun mode before blasting the monsters with perfect accuracy. The mechanical being jumped overhead and readily swung its sword; enemies were swept off the ground with great ferocity, losing their empty lives in a matter of seconds.

The others were frozen in place, mentally shutting out the chaos all around. All their suspicions and doubts were cast away, their minds settling on the fact that Lightning was here with them, fighting for their sake. Serah regretted thinking that her sister was somehow the cause for the mayhem; Lightning's actions were always made with Serah's best interests, and infecting her with a possessive substance was more than insane.

With the cie'th finally clustering together, Lightning whipped her head toward Odin.

"Now!"

All at once, Odin straightened up from its battle stance and raised its sword high above its head, where the clouds rumbled and darkened. Coalescing into a single form, the clouds blotted out much of the remaining sunlight, flashing only to give a glimpse of the power contained by Odin. The ground trembled beneath everyone's feet as they struggled to stay balanced; Cloud's eyes widened watching the great knight straighten up and hold its sword before him, parallel to his body.

Bright flashes of light shot from the clouds, striking the cie'th until they were hotter than the sun. The team shielded their eyes from the blinding light; waves of energy blasted their faces, sweeping the air from their lungs. With their bulky forms, it was rather hard to say what the thunder strike did to them internally, but their appendages went limp in a matter of seconds, and they ultimately fell to the ground, giving no indication that they would rise again.

Cloud stood breathless at the sight. Where it took the power of five l'Cie just to hold them off, this new form of Odin handled the situation in no time at all. Moreover, it appeared to work in tandem with Lightning – a partner in battle that moved to complement effectively. He watched as Odin finally stood down and bowed before Lightning, who nodded just before it vanished in a rose pink glow. Silent moments passed across the field before she turned toward them, her pale aqua eyes taking in the group with breathless shock.

A lump caught in her throat, Serah blinked hard to be sure that the sight wasn't an illusion. Ever since she regained consciousness from the stigma, the pang of despair thinking that she would never find her sister pulsated and grew at a steady rate. But this was real – Lightning had come, just like she always had, and for a moment, all was right in the world.

"Lightning!"

Dropping her bow, she immediately started toward her sister…but Vincent shot an arm into her path, halting her advances. "Wait," he warned sternly. Crimson eyes heavily scrutinized Lightning; it would have been a relief to find her safe and unharmed as she was, but given the circumstance, her condition was far too normal. There _had_ to be something off about her…

Cloud braced himself for what he was about to face. A controlled Lightning? An illusion fabricated by Jenova spawn that took the form of those closest to you? He tried to keep a hard grip on the main blade, preparing to strike at any moment…but all his limbs wanted to do was wrap around her and pull her close. No matter how much he prepared himself for this moment, it took all his strength to become restrained, to think everything through for everyone's safety.

As she slowly approached the wary team, Lightning finally took in the three unfamiliar to Pulse. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked in a wavering voice. Her head began to shake, almost denying their presence while trying to find some reason. "How did you even…?"

Snow's eyes darted back and forth between Lightning and the others, wondering if he was just hallucinating. However, everyone else responded to her presence in the same way – speechless and dumbstruck. "Is she really controlled?" he asked nervously.

"She should be…" Tifa wanted to believe it was really her standing in front of them, but the risk was too great to simply accept this turn of events.

Lightning's breath faltered when her gaze remained fixated on Cloud. Her knees almost buckled at the sight of his mako eyes, which shined with layers of astonishment. "Cloud…" She took careful steps toward him, making him even more eager to close the distance, yet afraid to find her vanishing in the blink of an eye. When the Blazefire Saber cluttered on the ground, Lightning rushed forward, her hands reaching toward his face. Cloud instantly responded with dropping his weapon as well, his hands landing on her hips to pull her close.

He could see words trying to make their way past her lips, but it all came out in incoherent stammers. Warmth from her fingers flooded through his face, and he knew it wasn't a dream. The delicacy of her touch brought forth memories he had tried to keep buried, when he refused to wallow in the past. For the first time in months, his chest felt whole, and even if was only for a moment, it was enough.

As he rested his forehead against hers, their breaths became incredibly shallow, unable to contain the whirlwind of emotions bursting through their chests. "I can't believe it," Lightning said with a faint chuckle. Her lips warred with keeping up a smile while tears began to well in her eyes. "You're here."

Cloud didn't want to give in too easily…but he couldn't sneer at the face he thought was lost to him forever. "It's you…?"

The surprise was evident on her face; though he was quite happy inside of finding her, there were still so many questions running not only through his head, but also the others'. Her smile gave way to a worrisome frown. "What is it? What's wrong?" She pulled back to see the raging emotions across his face.

His forehead creased immensely, wondering if he should give in to her ignorance. With a simple slip-up, he could give Jenova the upper hand, and it would cost him the chance of saving Lightning. How was he to let her in without endangering the others and their goal?

From behind, Snow hesitantly approached with the same perturbed expression on his face. "Light…What have you been doing this past month? Do you even remember anything you did?"

It took some time for her to consider his questions. Her hands unwillingly pulled away from Cloud at the same time he dropped his, stepping away before turning to the rest of the team.

"Not much," Lightning replied, her eyes darting around to search through the memories. "A few pieces here and there…but it's all scattered."

And thus the guilt piles up again. It must have been the Jenova cells wiping her memory, leaving her as an empty shell until she regained consciousness. Cloud worried what Jenova could have done in Lightning's body aside from infecting others with the cells. All this time, she must have been kept in the dark while chaos ensued around her.

"We're here because you—"

Cloud felt a sharp tug at his elbow. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he saw Vincent regard him with stern eyes, shaking his head at the choice of action. Even now, the ageless ally wasn't going to leave his defenses down. This was an opportune moment for an enemy to strike, and he wasn't going to risk it all to chance, even it was an old ally standing before them. Deep down, Cloud understood his reasoning, but it didn't stop him from feeling torn between two war zones.

Lightning grimaced before casting her gaze toward the ground, raging conflict churning inside. "It's…the Jenova cells, isn't it?"

Taken aback, everyone whipped their stares in her direction. Tifa's jaw hung slightly. "You knew?"

The response was a small twitch of her arm, her chin nodding toward the crook of her elbow. "The pain wasn't that much different from when I had Geostigma. I remember talking to Serah at the pier, and after I blacked out, I was on Cocoon."

Cloud silently cursed under his breath, ruing the day he let Lightning out of his sight at the WRO Headquarters. Knowing the truth could destroy her…but she had to know. His mako eyes bore into hers, hoping she could accept the whole truth of her purpose on the Planet.

"Deepground infected you when you were in Midgar that day."

It wasn't much of a surprise, but once it became clear, Lightning's face went from hard to pained. "And now I brought them here," she muttered with layers of self-loathing.

Though she appeared to have a good grip on consciousness, it wasn't to say she was clear of infection. Reaching into his back pocket, Cloud withdrew the gold materia and allowed it to weigh in his hand between the two of them. Lightning glanced at it curiously.

"We were able to use this to get the infection out of Serah and Snow," he explained with a twinge of hope.

A flicker of shock passed through Lightning's eyes as she peered over his shoulder. Serah and Snow caught her gaze, nodding to back up Cloud's words. With their silent words, they hoped it was enough to convince her of the truth and that the Jenova cells could still be lingering in her veins.

Taking the chance, Lightning took a deep breath and reached out toward the materia, her fingers twitching with anxiety. Everyone's eyes remained hard on her, anticipating the outrageous reaction to prove their suspicions. She ground her teeth together just as she took the materia in her hand altogether, fitting it perfectly in her grip. Though it still radiated brightly, the sphere gave no response to her touch, and remained as unstirred as before.

Lightning let out the breath she had been holding in at the same time Cloud let go of his. "Guess I'm clean," she concluded while dropping the materia back into Cloud's hand. Still, the others were perturbed by the missing factors, particularly Serah.

"Wait, you just summoned Odin," she speculated while stepping toward her sister. "Your Eidolon. They only come when a l'Cie calls."

Rather than becoming confused, Lightning's expression turned into one a child would show when caught with a hand in a cookie jar. Biting her lower lip, she turned away, not exactly knowing how to explain herself…

Not that she needed to. The team stared with the revelation on their minds; Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent began putting the pieces together. Not only did summons exist here, but they were connected to the power of a l'Cie, most likely to assist the servants in fulfilling their assigned mission. Eidolons weren't just a mere creature utilized with magic – they were beings bound to partnerships with a particular l'Cie.

And if Lightning was able to call an Eidolon…

"You're branded?!" Snow's cry was a mixture of disbelief and rage, though not entirely directed toward Lightning. Even with his brash attitude, the last thing he wanted was for more people to be dragged into a fight.

With a huff, Lightning began to stalk around them, heading back toward the Archylte Steppe. "They'll be sending troops out to look for us. We better get moving."

All the while, she did her best to avoid Cloud's dumbstruck stare. What she held much contempt for all this time finally came back to haunt her, with history repeating itself for the sake of torture. Cloud found it hard to imagine her being forced a task against her will, what with her strong determination standing as unchallenged. He recalled that night she explained the nature of what it meant to be a l'Cie…and feared what was going through her mind up till now.

The evasion was obvious, but Snow wasn't going to let it go so quickly. "Lightning, wait." He rushed to match her pace and ultimately get in her path, holding his palms out to usher her to stop. "Can we just take a moment to get up to speed here? Besides, Cloud and the others came all the way here for you…" Hesitation got caught in his throat, wondering if it was all right to tell her everything right this moment. Even still, her closest friends' lives hung in the balance, and as cold as she could be, Lightning wouldn't let this slip by.

He slowly raised his left forearm, flashing the Pulsian mark for his sister-to-be to find. "And we're branded, too."

A deep shudder ripped through her lips, pale eyes widening at the sight. "No!" Whipping her head back, Lightning silently beseeched Cloud, as if hoping he would prove Snow's words wrong…

But Cloud sighed before twisting his arm for her to see. The branded flesh was in plain sight, and nothing she can say would make it disappear. Tifa rolled her ankle while Vincent merely crossed his arms, but it was clear the situation was settled uneasily in their minds, now that they were aware of their fates should they choose a certain path.

"What _was_ that thing?" Tifa muttered in a low voice, her eyes searching for unseen answers. "It took us to some dark place."

"A fal'Cie," Snow told her, reiterating Serah's claim from before. He shook his head with disbelief; who knew they would run into one with terrible timing? "At least one of the few that's left."

Lightning's mind was still busy being thrown into a blender. Cloud never expected to become this involved in their world either, but if they tried to return to the Planet without completing their Focus, it was uncertain if their fate would follow.

"We have a Focus," he said in a bare whisper, and his blood ran cold. Even with a gun to his head, he wouldn't have agreed to such a task…but now that the others were given the same Focus, more lives were on the line. It wasn't just his fate he was sealing – whatever path he took, it not only dragged his allies', but Lightning's as well.

She saw the turmoil wash over his face before leveling an anxious glare. The fist at her side began to tremble. "What did you see?"

His body commanded him to keep his mouth shut, to not face the cold truth before they could come up with a plan. One way or another, they had to find a way out of this Focus…but could they search for it when the alternative was standing not three feet from them?

Steadying himself, Cloud returned Lightning's glare with his own, keeping his intended mission in mind.

"Your death."

* * *

**Finals are DONE! Yeehee! :D And now, it's time for a segment of trivial talk lol**

**As I looked back at _The Vessel,_ I remembered how some of you guys noticed and/or were a bit thrown off by Cloud's overprotective attitude when it came to Lightning and how it wasn't like him.**

**My reasoning and explanation - Cloud's had a miserable life starting with the incident with Tifa and the bridge. Because of that, he was ostracized by the people in Nibelheim, and so to prove himself, he joined Shinra in hopes of getting into SOLDIER. And from that point, you know how things go - failing to make SOLDIER; having his hometown destroyed by his hero, as well as having his mother killed; abused as a test subject and overdosed on mako; unconsciously fabricating a lie; losing friends; suffering Geostigma. (And many people _still_ label him as an emo after all that.)**

**After the events of AC, Cloud has finally managed to make peace with the tragedies of his past and move on to find happiness. When he meets Lightning and develops feelings for her, he's found a joy in his life that he doesn't want to disappear like everything else in his past. He wants to make sure she's free of any danger that seemed to haunt him throughout his adolescence. Like Tifa said in her first person POV chapter, his relationship with Lightning isn't plagued by the horrors of his past, having the potential to give him the happiness he well deserves.**

**Anyway, let the summer break begin! As the f(x) song goes, it's gonna be a hot, hot summer!**


	9. The Doubt

**The Doubt**

Lightning couldn't stop her hard glare from faltering, and the ephemeral slip was still noticed by Cloud. Regardless of how strong-willed she was, it couldn't have been easy to hear what was more or less a confirmed death sentence.

The realization hit Serah at full force, and she stepped up exasperated. "A Pulse fal'Cie wants us to kill Lightning?! Why would they want another Pulse l'Cie dead if she's—" A piece suddenly fell into place, turning her speechless and incredibly pale. It didn't take long for Snow to figure out the little mistake in Serah's words, and not even much longer for the others. Stagnation hung in the air, the truth writhing through to wrap tendrils around their necks. Lightning turned her gaze away from Cloud, for she noticed a change in the way he looked at her once he understood.

"Your brand…" Snow's shaky voice had little confidence in it. "It's Pulse, right? I mean…the Sanctum fal'Cie are taking the eternity nap—"

The look on her face was a contradiction to his words, and he knew better than to question her claims. Still, he shook his head at the idea, wishing like the others that it was all a bad dream.

"I've been to Cocoon," Lightning reiterated in a low voice. "I've seen them trying to make it float again. Before I ran, I was able to catch a glimpse of their plans…and Eden was awake."

Serah exchanged worried glances with Snow. They thought the nightmare that was the Sanctum fal'Cie was long gone with Orphan and Bathandelus. Once they were done for, the rest of the Sanctum fal'Cie fell into a deep slumber, no longer needed to support Cocoon after the pillar formed.

"The Sanctum fal'Cie?!" The branding suddenly made sense, though it didn't ease his nerves in the least. Like centuries before, Sanctum and Pulse fal'Cie are still warring against each other, not even hesitating to use other to do their bidding. Their awakening was far from coincidence, and this new addition brought everything into a spiral.

Tifa stepped forward, hoping to gain better insight on their situation. "Wait, there are different kinds of fal'Cie?"

Lightning slowly turned toward her and the others, her eyes gauging the stress levels clear on their faces. "How long have you guys been here?" she asked rather calmly.

"Just a few days." Cloud picked up the Fusion Sword and disassembled it to store in his holster.

She gave a tiny smirk. "It's a lot to take in."

"You seem to handle 'a lot' just fine," he shot back with a smug look, prompting her to release a small chuckle. Winding up on the Planet unexpectedly was certainly a life changer for Lightning, but with the help of Cloud and his friends, she found the adjustment manageable. Accompanying them was a returned favor of sorts, though back then, they didn't have to worry about a sealed fate with no way out.

After observing the darkening skies, Lightning nodded and turned back to Serah and Snow. "Let's find shelter for the night – we can sort everything out over there."

With a comforting smile, Serah walked up to move in step with Lightning, relieved to be with her sister once again, their Focus aside. Snow sighed heavily, still thrown in a loop with everything that's happened, but decided it was for the best; getting caught up in all this panic was asking for their brands to progress. So what if Lightning was a Sanctum l'Cie, he thought. After all they'd been through, it was hard not to trust her, especially when she's part of the level-headed Farrons.

While Tifa was more than relieved to follow Lightning on her turf, Vincent lingered behind, trying to figure the best course of action. Cloud also stayed back, pressured to be brought up to speed. Despite learning of their Focus, she was still willing to help them out. It was like her usual self to go out of her way and be there for others…

But where they stood on the battlefield, it made it all the more difficult to finish their mission. Was this what she planned to do? Gain their trust so it would be that much easier to subdue them when the time came? Cloud wanted to curse himself for thinking that way…but it _was _in her capabilities to do so, and with the flick of a switch, she could pull it off with little trouble.

For now, they would have to believe in her. Looking toward Vincent, Cloud gave a complying nod, and the gunslinger started after the others somewhat begrudgingly. As he passed by, Cloud noticed his hand resting uneasily on the Cerberus grip and sighed, for he saw how it was a wise thing to do.

No matter what, Cloud have to give his all in fixing this mess so that he could return natural order to Pulse, to save the lives set at risk because of Jenova…

And to give Lightning the life she wanted before he ultimately disappeared from it forever.

* * *

Nightfall had arrived once they reached the camp. Once Serah and Snow gathered enough firewood, they returned in time for TIfa to get a hang of summoning fire of her own free will. She actually found it harder than it seemed; whereas using materia relied on concentration and willpower with borrowed magic, summoning magic from only yourself was a challenge. She had to give much of her mentality into calling on the innate force, but it came as a relief when sparks erupted from her fingertips, in time to save them from the coming wind.

When everyone had formed a circle around the makeshift campfire, Cloud decided to join last, his eyes keenly observing where Lightning sat. After she took her spot not too far from Serah, he circled around to sit near Tifa, a distinct distance away from Lightning while his back was turned to Vallis Media. The others took note of the awkward movement, far from what they were expecting. Lightning's visage betrayed a quick look of surprise before focusing on the growing flames before her.

After a chance to warm up and feast on provisions, Tifa took the liberty to getting to know her environment better. "You talked about how the 'Sanctum' fal'Cie were supposed to be sleeping." Her words woke the mesmerized natives, the fire finally illuminating their eyes. "So that fal'Cie we ran into was from Pulse?"

Snow nodded. "Yup." He raised his left forearm up, turning the symbol to face Tifa before tapping it with a finger. "This brand is actually the symbol of Pulse. Sanctum brands are different."

More pieces started fitting together in Vincent's head. "And Pulse and Sanctum are enemies."

Serah pursed her lips together, remembering a history essay she wrote for her University of Eden application. She had gone to the library in hopes of getting more research; the more she learned, the more she was fascinated, though the underlying truth was still a mystery at that time.

"They say that long ago, when the world was first created, the fal'Cie wanted to pit citizens of Cocoon and Pulse against each other. The Sanctum fal'Cie made this lower world upset, and when they did, Pulse wanted to bring Cocoon down."

"It looks like they still do, just for spite," Snow continued with acidity. "They're the head honchos of a war…and we're soldiers employed by force." He had enough of being pushed around by higher entities that viewed humans as mere cattle. Taking on a duty himself, he could handle…but when those he cared about were involved, that was where he drew the line.

He peered around Serah, catching Lightning's eye. "How is it up there?" he asked, concerned. "Is everyone zombified by those Jenova cells?"

With an irritated furrowing of her brow, Lightning stood up, the scowl apparently fixed on her lips like it was in the past. "You don't turn into a zombie," she stated matter-of-factly before easing up on her tone. "And no – everyone's living normally up there…though I did hear how they took down so-called crazy people in a panic."

The words frightened Tifa as she watched Lightning worriedly. Thinking back, she remembered Serah's warning just before they narrowly escaped PSICOM's pursuit. "They could have been infected people. What if there were others aside from Serah and Snow?" From their words during infection, it sounded like the Jenova cells were constructing an organization to rally Pulse and Cocoon citizens, but for some underlying purpose they had yet to discover.

Serah laid all the pieces of information out for observation, trying to find ones that would fit together. So many things had gone wrong since Lightning returned, not that she blamed her sister's reappearance to begin with. "Do you think the fal'Cie woke up because of those Jenova cells?"

"Maybe…" Tifa picked up a nearby twig and tossed it into the fire with a flick of her wrist. "Though I don't see a direct connection."

Cloud quietly agreed, his eyes hardly leaving the fire. The thought of two issues colliding together seemed to make things worse. It was difficult to decide which took priority – while it seemed solving the Jenova infection would take time away from completing their Focus, turning around to solve it could allow the spread of the infection to worsen, to a point where the land has no other choice but to follow the doom of Jenova's other victims.

"Either way," he finally said, giving voice to the thoughts running through his head. "We should make sure there really aren't people infected while trying to solve this Focus."

The simple mention of it dropped an unbearable moment of silence on the group; it was too late when Lightning got up from her spot and walked toward the cliff almost immediately, avoiding the surprised looks from everyone else. When Cloud tried to catch a glimpse, he was shot down by the empty gaze in her eyes, and he knew his words had hit a mark.

'_Damn.'_ He let out a heavy exhale and hung his head; Lightning escaped the campfire's glow, peering out into the distance with a rigid stance. Discussing their Focus and her demise was going to be the last thing on her list, and Cloud cursed himself for bringing it up without a second thought.

Why did it have to be him to crush her spirits?

"_It had to be done_,' he convinced himself. If they were to live through this Focus and stop Jenova, there had to be no attachments – nothing that would make him change his mind and ruin her life all over again.

Across the fire, Serah and Snow gauged his expression carefully before sharing a knowing look.

"Hey, Spiky," Snow called out. "Go talk to her. It's been a while, right?" Thinking back, he realized the two of them couldn't have a moment alone, what with was going on and the presence of their friends. If he hadn't expected to see Serah for that long, he would have wanted to talk to her as well.

Despite his encouragement, Cloud's mind still wasn't made. If he were to talk to her, where would it go? Conversing would draw him closer, leave him vulnerable to the option of bringing her back into his world of madness.

Tifa could sense his uneasiness pouring off like waves. ""…It's not that simple." Cloud and Vincent's conversation back in New Bodhum replayed in her head, when she heard the cold and steely edge of Cloud's voice fighting to stay true to his word. If push came to shove, he would go far to make sure all ties were severed by the end of the day, even if his heart became torn to bits.

"You could at least try," Serah told him gently. "I know she would want to."

He knew she was somewhat right – just sitting back was useless. But even so, was he willing to go back to the way things were? Opening up and allowing himself an ounce of happiness was going to betray him in the end, once the Focus deadline would draw to a close.

The least Cloud could do was come to mutual terms with her, keep it cool while they figured out where to go from here. With a heavy sigh, he nodded to himself with some confidence before rising to his feet, turning to head into the shadows.

The cool breeze should have made the atmosphere calm, drawing their impending doom from their minds, even for a little while. Were they on the Planet, Cloud would have actually cracked a smile as he tilted his head up to the sparkling night sky. Near the edge of the chasm, Lightning peered toward the dark pathways, her gunblade resting by her side in its gun mode. As he approached, Cloud envisioned her figure surrounded by the local buildings of Edge, her squad off in the distance to head to their homes for the night. She would bid them all good night and decide it was ready to return to the bar, expecting him to be waiting. Instead, she would turn around, her eyes widening in surprise just before a gentle smile graced her lips. The smile would make him forget all the scars of his past, the harsh sacrifices he had to make to get to this point, and for once believe he was leading a normal life.

All it took was a single blink to shatter the dream, and Lightning was back to staring out into the darkness, her stance as rigid as any other soldier's. It took long seconds for Cloud to figure out which was the dream and which was reality. A heavy lump instantly clogged his windpipe, bile settling in the pit of his stomach at the wretched truth. He was given the unlikely chance at happiness, and now he was paying the heavy price.

The color drained from his face as he stopped in his tracks, a cold sweat close to breaking out. Was this some Focus side-effect? To steer him off course and speed up the brand progression? Snow's words ran through his head in an instant – shock would draw him closer to turning into those monsters, wandering the lands mindlessly for eternity.

Shutting his eyes, Cloud clenched his hand into a tight fist and breathed deeply through his nostrils. _'You can get through this,' _he told himself in a firm tone. _'You won't be one of those things. This is just a small hurdle.'_

With a steely gaze, he approached Lightning, not even flinching when he noticed her acknowledge his presence. Her head lowered an increment, pointedly avoiding his gaze when he stood just an arm's length away from her side.

"Looking for someone?" he asked in a somewhat strained voice.

Lightning remained stoic. "PSICOM's bound to send grunts out to find us. I didn't exactly keep much of a low profile when I was on Cocoon."

A reflexive chuckle managed to escape; leave it to Lightning to go out swinging. After a moment of silence, he could sense her eyes fixed on him, curious and careful.

"How long ago were you branded?"

Even still, he couldn't meet her gaze. Cloud turned his head a twitch to the left, away from her, but she was bound to notice. "Just before you showed up," he replied. "We were running from PSICOM. And before that, we were heading to some place – Oerba."

"Oerba?" Lightning's brows drew closer together.

"We were gonna take an airship to Cocoon…to look for you." Considering everything that had transpired up to this point, he wondered if all their efforts were worth it. Every decision they made turn their mission even more hazardous, and it was uncertain if they could survive once it was over.

Heavily sighing, Lightning turned away, hiding whatever expression passed over her features. "How did you even get here?" she asked in a voice close to a whisper. "I thought Chaos disappeared when Vincent stopped Omega." Her eyes flitted toward the camp, widening at the surprise that Vincent managed to survive the incident back in Midgar.

"Aerith always gets the Lifestream to pull through for us," Cloud explained as he reached into the back pocket for the gold materia. As it nestled in his palm, the glow remained constant; its vibrant reaction from the encounter with Serah and Snow confirmed their suspicions of one of its functions. He watched Lightning's expression carefully, to see if she would break a sweat or even flinch…

But her eyes just looked at it curiously, not irritated in the least.

He let out a tiny sigh of relief. "This basically opened a door – one way ticket to Pulse. It only reacts when it senses the stigma now."

A plan began to formulate in Lightning's head, her eyes darting around as she fit some pieces together. "We could use it to find other Jenova cells. When we go back to Cocoon, we'll check if other are also infected and—" The wariness on Cloud's face stopped her train of thought. "What?"

Unable to rip his eyes from her, Cloud felt a strange pang settling in his chest. Every word dripping from her lips were all for the benefit of the Pulse l'Cie…but what did she get out of this? She would save her mortal enemies, leaving her to be branded a traitor among the Sanctum fal'Cie.

Was she really all right with this?

"You're really gonna help us?" he asked skeptically.

Lightning gave a slight shake of her head while shrugging. "Why not?"

He hated bringing the subject up, but his and Vincent's suspicions were making more sense by the hour. "You're a Sanctum l'Cie…"

For a moment, her eyes widened with enlightenment, until a dark shadow finally passed through as she understood what he meant. Lightning took a steady step back, unable to restrict the pain evident in her visage. Cloud bit his tongue for mentioning that little fact, but nothing he could do will take back the words.

"You don't trust me," she stated in a hard voice. When Cloud failed to immediately meet her stare, her eyes shifted to the group over his shoulder. "And neither does Vincent, does he?"

"It's not that I don't trust you."

The look in her eyes refused to believe his claim. "I saw it in your eyes back there," she shot back accusingly just before softening with urgency. "Is it because of your Focus? Cloud…no matter what, I'm not just gonna stand by and watch you guys lose to this Focus. I won't let you become a cie'th."

That last bit was completely foreign to him; frowning, Cloud felt his forehead crease as he looked at her curiously. "A cie'th?"

"Those—" Immediately after she nodded her head toward the Archylte Steppe, the rest of her words caught her throat, shock and fear rising in her eyes. Lightning stared back at Cloud worriedly until she averted her gaze, but it was enough to warn him that what she withheld was something he wouldn't like.

He quickly looked over his shoulder, his mind retracing their steps to find what could have possibly been the "cie'th" she mentioned. Everything they encountered seemed relatively small fry…except the crystallized monsters…

With marks similar to their l'Cie brands.

An unbearable chill ran up his spine as his hand flew to the brand on his bicep. It all became clear – the similar brands, Serah and Snow's frenzy over becoming a l'Cie, and what awaited all of them if they failed their Focus. Once the fal'Cie wanted someone to get a job done, they weren't just going to wait around as their slaves took their time. There had to be some incentive: some fear that had to drive them onward…or face the consequences.

Cloud finally understood what Snow meant by it being too late through the brand progression, but the realization didn't make it any easier to accept. His gaze slowly returned to Lightning, who turned away with a painful mask.

"Those things back there," he started in a shaky low voice. By his side, he clenched his trembling hand into a tight fist. "They were once human…l'Cie. Is that what we become when it's too late?"

Lightning refused to meet his eyes, but her contorted face was still partly visible by the moonlight. "They didn't tell you, did they?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

Stunned, Cloud turned away, the brand on his arm pulsating ominously as if counting down the rest of his time. With every day spent on Pulse, he began to realize how little control the people really had over their lives. So long as fal'Cie were around, no one was truly safe, not so long as there was danger in the world. He tried to imagine himself turning into one of those monsters, or anyone else for that matter…and shuddered at the possibility.

That was _if_ it was too late. However, on the other end of the spectrum…

With a brave face, he turned back to Lightning, who was still sore of being the bearer of bad news. "What happens if we complete this Focus?"

Hesitant, she took a daring glance, only to be met by his fierce beseeching stare. The answer she held was definitely something he didn't want to hear, but nevertheless needed to be heard.

"You gain eternal life...as a crystal." She spoke as if poison ran down her lips, refusing to hurt Cloud with the harsh truth. "Not dead, but exactly living, either."

As his strength was spent keeping him upright, Cloud's mind lost itself in oblivion. Any hope of finding peace after all this was snuffed out in an instant, leaving him at a crossroads daring him to choose an inevitable yet doomed path. Becoming a monster was the last thing he would ever want…but would it spare him from the eternal prison of crystal stasis? Either way, none of them were sure to win – killing Lightning meant imprisonment for life, but sparing her would see Serah, Snow, and his comrades turned into hideous monsters, doomed to roam Pulse forever.

How could he save the ones he cherished if it meant making unbearable sacrifices?

"I wish this didn't happen to you," he heard Lightning say in an agonizing tone. Thinking it over, Cloud let out a faint humorless chuckle – a Sanctum l'Cie pitied him.

'_Sanctum l'Cie…'_

Carefully, he refocused his gaze toward Lightning, who looked upon him with sorrow and remorse. It wasn't only him and the others who were tasked with a mission – any l'Cie, whether from Cocoon or Pulse, were cursed with a Focus.

"Do you know your Focus?" Cloud asked.

The pointed question clearly had an effect on her, but Lightning's steeled gaze didn't betray anything. Turning away, she resumed her post as lookout, her eyes sweeping down Vallis Media and across the skies. "No."

Cloud wanted to believe her, to include her in his pool of trustworthy companions…but marked as an enemy, Lightning was fated to stop him. To stop her sister. There had to be a reason the Pulse fal'Cie was so threatened by her that it wanted her head on a plate. Gritting his teeth together, he tracked down their top priorities. Fulfilling their Focus was on a set time limit, but the possible danger of the Jenova cells still roaming the lands couldn't be forgotten.

Was his original goal to save Lightning hopeless?


	10. The Eidolon

**The Eidolon**

The following morning did little to ease their nerves, though they kept their cool heads with the hope of solving the ordeal together. Beautiful sunlight and breathtaking scenery may have encased them in mindless peace for a few minutes, but reality still hung in the air, and time continued ticking.

As Tifa stirred from her slumber, she saw Lightning and Snow approach from the path leading into Vallis Media. A limp Gorgonopsid was thrown lifelessly across Snow's shoulders, the added weight barely breaking his stride. They continuously tossed bits of banter to each other, unfazed by their plight in the least. In another direction, Serah was helping Cloud and Vincent adjust to calling upon natural magic from within, as well as showing them the kinds of offensive and defensive spells they could cast depending on any situation they would find themselves in.

Without wasting time, the group started preparing for breakfast, only to quietly eat amongst each other as the journey ahead weighed on their minds. This tiny reprieve was well worth it, if they wanted to keep their humanity for the near future. No one let out much of a smile or a light tone of conversation, but it was more than enough to grasp on to the string of hope that kept them going.

Just before they set out, Snow meandered into a small part of the camp. Looking down at his brand, he quietly prayed and watched it glow in a bright hue before streams of light rushed out. A bulky ice shard materialized out of thin air, condensing until crack echoed across the mass. Finally, the bulk shattered into flying pieces, revealing Stiria and Nix accompanied with a strong pang of nostalgia.

A smile of relief appeared on Snow's face. "Hey," he greeted with a casual wave. "Long time no see." In return, the Twin Sisters answered with pleasant gestures, content with being called upon once more to give aid.

Footsteps drew closer from behind him; Snow through a glance over his shoulder to find Serah with folded arms and a dubious look. "These are your Eidolons?" She eyed the sisters warily. As a somewhat extension of Snow himself, Stiria and Nix were more than willing to show courtesy to Serah by bowing their heads and regarding her with innocent pleasantries. Still, Serah's first reaction was understandable. "Did they _have _to be girls?"

Snow couldn't hold back a knowing smirk. He slid an arm around Serah's waist before kissing the top of her head. "Am I sensing some jealousy here?" he teased.

It didn't take long for her to give in and stifle a laugh. She should have known better than to doubt Snow, who readily stood by her side even when she revealed her first l'Cie brand.

As she turned up to gaze toward Snow, something caught her eye upon his black bandanna. At first, she assumed the strange coloring she saw was due to the sun's glare obstructing her vision…but even after blinking, the red dot remained fixated on his head, clear as the sky.

Serah's heart stopped in an instant just as she whipped her head to the side, instantly finding a small shrubbery deep in the shadows. A similar red dot shot out through the darkness, and she could make out the silhouette of a man in familiar armor.

"_Snow, get DOWN!_"

Lunging toward her fiancé, she drove enough force to knock him out of the way before his stumbled footing caused the both of them to fall. Before they even hit the ground, the ear-splitting crack of gunfire echoed throughout the gorge, alerting the others with a jolt as they jumped to their feet.

"Serah!" Lightning cried out as she searched the area. Stiria and Nix immediately turned vigilant and pursued the attacker in the shadows. Leaving nothing to chance, Cloud and Tifa followed the Eidolons at the ready. As they took off, Lightning and Vincent caught the sound of mechanical whirring growing steadily louder above their heads. Casting their stares toward the skies, they noticed an immense airship descending upon them, ropes shooting toward them as more soldiers slid down. Lightning growled at the craft she easily recognized. "PSICOM!" Together, she and Vincent whipped out their guns and took out as many grunts as they could before the enemies retaliated with their own bullets. Before the PSICOM soldiers touched ground, Lightning and Vincent flew for cover and continued their assault, hoping to draw fire from the others.

Approaching Serah and Snow, Tifa got down to their level as they came up in knelt positions. "Are you hurt?!" she asked nervously.

Serah shook her head as she pulled the bow over her head and readied an arrow. "No, we're good."

"Those bastards!" Snow rushed to his feet before taking off after his Eidolons and Cloud. Bitter frost emanated from his fingertips, turning even the air around him frigid as the l'Cie power burst forth. Swinging his arm in a wide arc, Snow sent razor-tipped shards across the field, and they sped past Cloud and the Eidolons in no time at all. They caught many of the frontline soldiers in their throats, blood immediately flooding their lungs as their windpipes were crushed.

Cloud whipped the main blade from the holster and cut through a row of soldiers in a single motion, effortlessly knocking them down in time for the Eidolons to encase them in icy prisons. Raising his free arm, he quickly shot up to slam the butt of his palm into a soldier's lower jaw, and his opponent was thrown back with incredible force.

A second wave of PSICOM brutes was ready to fire, but Cloud instantly rushed forward to wrap his fingers around one of the assault rifle's muzzles. Yanking it to the side, he forced the soldier holding it to jerk along with it, meeting Cloud's other hand as it brought a swift chop to the grunt's neck. Once his first target was incapacitated, he immediately tore the gun free and raised it high in the air; it flew down to smash into another PSICOM grunt's shoulder to send him down.

Looking ahead, Snow noticed the long line of soldiers Cloud was bound to face and became certain he wouldn't come away from them unscathed. He scooped up a forgotten assault rifle before waving to one of his Eidolons.

"Nix!"

The younger Shiva sister complied quick enough while Snow ran back a few feet to get a good start. Stiria released blankets of frostbiting mist with a wave of her hand, hoping to slow down pursuit and give Cloud the upper hand.

Once Nix prepared herself, Snow rushed back toward the fight, going into a sprint before stomping a boot on Nix's outstretched palms. He was instantly launched into the air, soaring over Cloud and their adversaries with one of his smug grins. With carefree aim, he unleashed a round of bullets from the gun's muzzle; a good line of PSICOM's forces instantly dropped dead, even taking some of their allies by surprise in time for Cloud to get the jump. After Snow's gigantic feet hit the ground on the other side of the soldiers, he swung a full roundhouse kick to knock them aside, giving him and Cloud the advantage of striking from two fronts.

When she was sure Serah could execute long range attacks without much risk of being ambushed, Tifa rushed to take care of any strays Cloud had missed on his end of the fight. Stiria and Nix flung PSICOM grunts everywhere as swirls of ice surrounded their vicinities. As she shot past, Tifa made sure to avoid the trash they took out, but it was inevitable of her to run into some soldiers that managed to slip past. The soldiers caught sight of her oncoming form, and they retaliated by rushing forward as well.

Tifa dropped to the ground, sliding with her feet forward in time to avoid the muzzles aimed in her direction. As she drew closer, she came back up on her feet to swing a backhanded fist across their heads, and they easily tumbled to the side like dominos. In a quick follow-up, she brought her fist forward and covered it with her other hand before raising it high above her head to smash down on an unfortunate soldier's helmet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another grunt hoping to catch her off guard. She gave a swift jab to his gut with her foot before the brand on her ankle began to vaguely illuminate. Brief sparks thrashed around her foot as she slightly crouched. Tifa wasted no time in reeling her leg back and sweeping it across in a bright flash to send electric shocks through the soldier's being.

Meanwhile, Serah did her best to cut the enemies' numbers on either end of the battlefield, working from a distance without drawing too much attention upon her. Despite the effort, PSICOM soldiers continued to pour, and it was a long while before they saw their chances at victory.

As she concentrated on helping the others, she failed to notice the lone soldier lurking in the shadows, drawing closer at a frightening pace. It was only when he was right behind her did he cock his gun free of the empty shells, preparing for his final strike. Serah spun on her heel with a pale face; her few yet intensive training sessions with Lightning taught her that it would be too difficult to protect herself from a gun at this point. The bow and fitted arrow slipped from her trembling fingers as she watched the soldier take aim.

Before his finger could pull the trigger, a tight fist smashed into the side of his head. Something gripped his arm and violently pulled him back in the opposite direction, giving his neck an unbearable whiplash. His vision blurred immensely, but the soldier was able to make out a flash of pink surrounding fiery aqua eyes, glaring at him with outrage. The visage was familiar, but he had no time to think of it as a firm elbow came down upon his shoulder, adding up the damage to his upper body. Bones shifted and cracked; a great tremor ran down to his legs as he fell to his knees. The soldier gasped weakly as the pain took control, and all he could do was watch the woman before him turn with a kick to send him flying back.

"What are you doing?!" the soldier screeched at the top of his lungs. As he worked to prop himself up on his elbows, he could only watch as Lightning aimed the muzzle of her Blazefire Saber at his forehead. An icy chill seeped out to her surroundings as she looked down at the soldier with contempt.

Vincent watched their little exchange almost passively, expecting to see Lightning pop the man's head with a single bullet in the blink of an eye…but the subtlest hesitation was caught by his quick eye. The man's tone sounded too informal to see Lightning as a complete stranger, almost as if he had known her – his mortal enemy.

Or so she was supposed to be.

Before anyone could say another word, Lightning pulled the trigger and wasted him, but not without betraying the smallest grimace on her face. Vincent was sure it wasn't due to this ambush, which was handled relatively well. He carefully observed her expression, which remained heavily guarded even after stillness fell upon the battlefield.

Soon enough, Snow returned to Serah's side with a look of relief. As Tifa and Cloud arrived to regroup, Lightning approached one of the corpses and picked up a sword that was broad at the hilt, but quickly slimmed down to a razor tip. She observed its condition before approaching Serah.

"Here," she said, offering the weapon to her curious sister. "It's a bowsword. The latest in the arsenal, right after my gunblade." Before Serah stretched her hand out toward it, Lightning quickly pulled it back to twirl the handle in her palm. The blade split in half and eased back toward the hilt while the handle extended, changing its appearance in no time flat. A rod of electric blue energy extended across the original handle to the apex of the curve.

Serah watched with awe as the bowsword fell into her hands. It was lighter than she expected, probably due to the flexibility it needed to have in order to be used to its full potential.

"Spinning it in your palm recharges it," Lightning explained.

As Cloud watched Lightning interact with Serah, he finally saw how she could balance such a dangerous career with the task of caring for her only family. If it weren't for Serah, none of them would have gotten Lightning to open up upon her arrival on the Planet.

Before he could move, Vincent came up from behind Lightning, his face hard and keen.

"Looked like they were with you," he spoke with full skepticism. Lightning and the others turned toward him taken aback, but Lightning's face didn't make him falter. Vincent knew what he saw – that PSICOM soldier was expecting Lightning to be fighting _with _them, not against. "You're a – what – a Sanctum l'Cie, right?"

Snow understood his implication as fast as his face turned dark. He gently pushed Serah back as he trudged up to stand behind Lightning. "Watch it," he growled threateningly, his eyes glaring at Vincent with resentment.

Watching the escalation, Tifa hurried to stand between Vincent and Lightning. "Just because she's branded by them—"

"It makes her their slave," he stated matter-of-factly. Throwing their own words back at them would have been a low blow, but the truth rang clear. Unlike Serah and the others, Lightning was a Sanctum l'Cie this time. Even if she truly wanted to help them complete their Focus, she was putting her own fate on the line, and knowing what was to come couldn't have allowed for a clear mind and judgment.

Cloud watched Lightning absorb the accusation. Being ostracized by citizens she barely knew was one thing, but to be held accountable by allies was too debilitating. Vincent's words made sense, and Cloud felt the mysteries behind their Focus tauntingly clear up.

As similar enlightenment darkened the others' faces, Vincent regretted finding what was right in front of them. "I don't like the idea, either," he tried to amend. "…But it's possible."

Lightning's expression was pained, but still guarded. "You think I'd turn against you?"

"Sanctum l'Cie are enemies of Pulse," he reiterated without a twinge of doubt. The Cocoon and Pulse regulations were getting clearer as he thought about it, and he was getting the hang of this l'Cie business. It was kill or be killed, and most of it relied on who to trust. Choosing the wrong path could turn so many things wrong – a risk Vincent wasn't very willing to take, even if Lightning was his friend.

The reality was easily mapped out in Cloud's mind, though he had wished it didn't make sense. Ignorance truly was bliss in a way, for he wouldn't be too discouraged to continue on their mission. The brand on his arm blazed with irritation, forcing him to choose a side. Vincent wasn't far off in his accusation...

But was he ready to stand against Lightning so early?

With a fervent shake of his head, Cloud stepped forward, his face hard. "That's enough, Vincent. It doesn't mean we have to turn against her—"

A harsh memory decided to prove him wrong at that point – a vivid dream that was forever etched into his mind. The look in Lightning's eyes was something to look out for…or something he had to make sure didn't come to fruition.

But that was their task – strike Lightning down or damn their own existence to become cie'th. Could he really abandon all conscience, all his feelings, just to keep himself and the others from their fate?

The burden weighed heavily in his chest, but that wasn't the only place where pain blossomed. With every passing second, the brand on his bicep burned hotter, faster than any fire being sparked to life. Cloud ground his teeth as his muscles on the left side of his body convulsed, refusing to follow his will and forcing him down on one knee.

"Cloud?!" Tifa whipped her head to his direction, and everyone soon turned to see his agitated form. His right hand flew to the burning l'Cie brand, but it didn't stop the sensation on his skin, almost as if it was being flayed right then and there. A mako-colored gleam emanated through his hand, along with an enlarged projection of the brand. Underneath, a large intricate pattern illuminated the ground, surrounding him like a force field.

The others staggered back at the sight, the sea green glow lighting up their bewildered expressions. "Is this-?!" Serah had imagined for so long, wondering how a l'Cie could reach pit bottom for this intervention to occur.

"Cloud!" Snow beckoned him to their direction. "Get out of there!"

The glyph beneath him began turning in a mechanical fashion, the ground trembling in its wake. Cloud got to his feet and staggered toward the others before a glance over his shoulder revealed a crystalline sphere taking his place on the glyph. Dark clouds formulated in the sky, and strong winds struck them without warning.

"What's happening?!" Tifa asked just before a gust of wind enveloped the sphere, ultimately revealing an aerial creature spinning in place. Its speed accelerated greatly until the navy blue wings finally expanded a great length, a little past the boundaries of the dissipating glyph. The underbelly was covered with leather-like substance until it reached the tail, where it was decorated in albino scales. After craning its neck toward the group, the creature revealed its oddly bent break, though it was still sharp enough to pierce the toughest of metals.

Cloud watch as the glowing eye sockets rested upon him, filled with a strange conviction that he felt was interpretable. However, his mind was still lost amidst the chaos surrounding them.

Lightning pulled out the Blazefire Saber and extended it into its sword mode. "It's an Eidolon," she explained over the ear-splitting flapping of the creature's wings. "They come to l'Cie when they need them the most." She then turned to Cloud, her eyes looking upon him with uncertainty and fear. "And you need to fight her."

"What?!" Cloud stared at her incredulously, waiting for a cracked smile and the creature to vanish into thin air…But everything remained, and the Eidolon began growing impatient. Opening its beak, it let out a shrill cry; the group clasped the sides of their heads to block out the sound, but it was futile.

With a mighty swing of its tail, the Eidolon whipped Tifa and Lightning away like flies, distancing them from its prey. Serah acted fast, spinning the bowsword in her hand until an arrow became visible at the apex, and took aim at the Eidolon. However, she couldn't react to its mighty recoil; the tail instantly lashed out in her direction, soon to strike her down.

Luckily, Snow intercepted to take the brute of the force. They fell back simultaneously, thrown farther than Lightning and Tifa. Vincent leveled his Cerberus gun with the creature's face, hoping to take a precise shot, but it instantly zoomed toward the sky, a bright glow emanating from its beak. Even with the distance between them, Vincent could sense the intense energy waiting to be released. Without hesitation, he leapt for cover just as a bright beam shot out of the Eidolon's beak, carving a fissure in the ground and wall like a deadly laser.

Cloud fell to his knees as the ground trembled even more. With the creature out of reach, it was impossible to make an effective strike. Were they even supposed to kill it? Lightning and the others still hadn't told them everything about their l'Cie potential, and he was sure this was going to be a rough lesson. What irked him the most was how it unevenly divided its attention amongst the party – the feral strikes seemed to be aimed at everyone else more than him, the sole source of this creature. Despite his wish to save everyone, the Eidolon looked to test his wish…to see if his conviction would stand even with all the others' lives depended on him at once.

Close to the base camp, Lightning ran out of her cache and aimed her Blazefire Saber at the Eidolon, unleashing bullet after bullet in hopes of even scratching it. The Eidolon screeched at her fruitless attempts before taking a nosedive with her at the dead center. Anticipating its goal, Lightning ran back, dashing for any cover that wouldn't put the others in danger…

But the creature proved to be wicked fast and relentless. Its claws suddenly swooped down and latched tightly onto her shoulder, digging through to try and pierce the skin. Lightning cried out just before she was lifted off her feet, taken into the air like a worm on a hook. The gunblade slipped from her fingers, leaving her with nothing but her hands to fend for herself.

It happened so slowly in his eyes, yet Cloud still couldn't do anything as the Eidolon swooped in menacing circles, swinging Lightning in its grasp like a rag doll. Rage found its way up his throat, his fist shaking immensely at his side. The l'Cie brand glowed just as a sphere of flames burst to life in his palm, the heat even making Cloud himself sweat at its intensity.

As the creature swung back around in his direction, he reeled his arm back to throw the fire in an arcing motion, the sphere sailing through the air. It erupted upon contact with the creature's underbelly, and the scorch elicited a cry of pain.

While it lurched with fatigue, the grip on Lightning's shoulder slackened, leaving her to plummet to the ground with no preparation. Cloud darted toward her destination, leaping at the last moment to catch her in his arms before sliding across the grass and dirt. He clutched her tightly to his chest, only loosening when his back ran into the stacks lining the camp.

Carefully setting her against the stacks, Cloud observed the red streaks lining her bare shoulder; he let out a sigh of relief when he found that the skin wasn't broken. Lightning took the good handful of seconds to catch her breath, but it stuck in her throat when her eyes widened at a sight behind Cloud.

"Watch out!"

He already knew without her warning – the furious beating of the wind on his back alerted him of just how close the Eidolon was. Even when he stood in its path, it was intent on hurting Lightning, on proving to him exactly how feeble his attempts were to save her. Cloud never hoped it would happen this way – to lose her right in front of his eyes.

It wasn't going to happen today.

He heard the creature crow lowly, as if to persuade him to move aside. The flutter of wings indicated that it moved back, preparing itself for the final strike once he was out of harm's way. Restless, the Eidolon let out a final screech, its bloodthirsty eyes settling on Lightning before the lunge. The razor sharp beak was aimed at Cloud's back, giving him no time to think…He just acted.

"_NO!_"

Reaching for the main blade, he spun on his heel, extending the sword before him as the Eidolon's outstretched beak collided with it. The blade couldn't cut through the hardy scales and steel-like cartilage, but it was enough to hold it back. The gleaming tip of the beak hovered just before Cloud's face, tempting to carve his flesh like butter. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, only sliding a few inches when the Eidolon wrestled to break free. Cloud's mako eyes sent the deadliest of glares at the Eidolon, daring it to try and push him down just to get to Lightning.

When it felt like the struggle would become endless, the creature suddenly pulled back and hovered in the air, its screeches slowly weakening in ferocity. Cloud held the main blade before him at the ready, though he wondered how long he could remain standing if the Eidolon became vigilant again.

To his and Lightning's surprise, it perched itself on the edge of the cliff, the great wings furling in as its head bowed low before Cloud. The bloodlust in the Eidolon's eyes faded away, leaving only obedience and tamed yielding. What was feral and wild just a minute ago was now docile and compliant.

He wasn't sure how, but Cloud knew he could trust the creature's subordination. As he looked upon the Eidolon, he met its eye in the most trusting gaze, and a strong tether bound his entire being to it.

"_**By the grace of Etro, may the winds bow to your power. Come forth, priestess of the skies.  
A name in blood, a pact of tempest. She shall rise, her bond eternal and unyielding.  
Blinding light.  
Stifling flurry."**_

The words echoed in the recesses of his mind, as if a woman was communicating with him telepathically. Cloud watched the Eidolon carefully, and the look on its face was a knowing one; in an instant, a name came to him, his eyes widening with enlightenment.

"Valefor."

As soon as her name passed his lips, the Eidolon dissipated in a flash of light, the only traces of her presence being the ravaged field and tainted air filled with smoke and ash. Lightning got up on her feet while the others finally emerged, reeling at the chaos littering Vallis Media. The fallen PSICOM soldiers were forgotten among the dirt and debris strewn about by Valefor.

"Where did it go?" Tifa asked nervously. By instinct, she turned her gaze to the skies, expecting the Eidolon to come crashing down for round two.

But Lightning merely nodded toward Cloud's brand as he remained speechless. "It's his Eidolon now, to help him whenever he calls."

Now that he thought about it, Cloud could feel a new strain of power flowing beneath his skin, melding with the one already there to offer courage and morale. If he was strong enough to protect Lightning from his own Eidolon, perhaps he was already on the way to stop this Focus once and for all.

"Well," Snow boomed a little too cheerfully. He stretched his arms above his head as if to get rid some knots in his back. "Back to the original plan, I guess?"

"Plan?" Serah asked in a blend of skepticism and curiosity.

He nodded. "Yep. Getting rid of these brands."

In spite of his positive outlook, Tifa remained troubled as she folded her arms across her chest. "Didn't you say yesterday that we would need a miracle to get them off?"

Snow smirked. "We can find a way," he answered simply. Though they were given a Focus, their actions from this point on were up to them. "Those so-called gods don't control us."

"He's right."

The others turned to see Lightning search one of the PSICOM's corpses, rising to her feet with a blinking intercom in hand. Immediately, the first assumption ran through their heads – this assault wasn't going to be undetected back on Cocoon. More units would turn up against them, stealthier and deadlier than this time

But the occurrence didn't faze Lightning in the least. Dropping the intercom, she ground it with her heel, tiny sparks and smoke erupting from the scraps. She turned back to the others with the determined face they knew all too well.

"I'm tired of being their damn slave," she said like poison. "They want a fight? We'll give them one." Fate and destiny no longer meant anything to the re-branded l'Cie. Even when all hope was lost, and they were suspended in darkness, they held on to the light of hope that burned brightly in their hearts, creating a new world that they now had to save once again.

Cloud could see how set they were in freeing them from the shackles. It was this very determination that he couldn't help but admire in Lightning. Despite having the world against her, she was able to ignite a spark to carry them on, and she wasn't going to stop until she reached her goal.

But even then, where would they be when it was all over? Before the others noticed, Cloud turned away as his expression darkened, haunted by the conviction he almost let slip away. This was sure to be their greatest challenge yet – one where they wouldn't get out unscathed. He had to figure out where to go soon, before Lightning's life was endangered even more.

They were determined to see this adventure through until the end…but could they avoid the fatal outcome that awaited Lightning?

"Right," he said listlessly before walking past the others toward the Archylte Steppe, setting the village named Oerba as their destination. Tifa followed with Serah and Snow with renewed hope; meanwhile, Vincent hesitated for the quickest moment before silently trailing behind, his thoughts locked securely to himself.

Lightning lingered in the rear, watching the others begin the quest to free themselves of their Focus…until her chest burned reprimandingly. Stifling a cry, she fell to one knee, clutching her chest with aggravation. Her torso felt like exploding from the pain, but instead the pain lingered as torture, as if to teach her a lesson for her defiance. She gritted her teeth while her hand grabbed a fistful of dirt, waiting for the worst of it to dissipate.

Once she tiredly got back up to her feet, Lightning slowly made her way to following the others, her expression callous and undecipherable. She fought the urge to check the mark with every step, intent on fixing this accursed twist of fate till her last breath.


	11. The Capture

**Hey, guys. I know it's been a while since I updated. Last Saturday was my sister's 18 birthday party, and it was a pretty big shindig – a debut – which is basically equivalent to a quinceanera. I was running around trying to make it an actual party rather than people standing around doing nothing, so I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting with no update.**

**Naturally, my first instinct would have been to make Cloud's Eidolon Fenrir, but then I remembered the fal'Cie Fenrir seen in **_**Final Fantasy XIII-2**_**. So that was a bust. Before Valefor, I considered using Ramuh as Cloud's Eidolon, but when I saw the **_**FFXIII**_** concept art for him, I found it hard to try and imagine a way to turn him into a vehicle or something to ride on.**

**As to what Valefor is gonna turn into, you'll just have to see that for yourself in the future. (Though considering that it's Cloud, it's probably gonna be a no brainer). Uhuhuhuhuhu!**

**The Capture**

The last twenty-four hours had been a strange blur, especially for Cloud and his recently acquired partner. After they finally got past the vast fields of the Archylte Steppe, the group descended into the Mah'habara Subterra – a stark contrast of the bloodthirsty wildlife they trekked through. Machines and robots sprung to life in their presence, long forgotten by the Pulsian natives lost in the War of Transgression.

Across many platforms and walkways, Lightning and Snow marveled at a familiar sight. Atomos, the Pulse fal'Cie streaking through the tunnels of Mah'habara, waited for them like a patient shuttle, as if expecting them in need of his services.

"At least we didn't need a machine this time to stop him," Snow commented as he trailed into the chamber within Atomos.

"Yeah, good thing Hope isn't here," Lightning retorted from behind.

Meanwhile, Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent hesitated back on the platform. They eyed the monstrosity with wariness, even watching the others board Atomos with curiosity.

Serah slid into her seat next to Snow before calling out, "Aren't you coming in?"

Peering over the edge, Tifa sized up the fal'Cie, taking in the circumference of glowing spikes that could flatten any normal human with ease. She wondered if their l'Cie strength could prove to match it…but decided against testing that theory.

"Aren't fal'Cie supposed to be the bad guys?" she inquired while following Cloud and Vincent into the chamber.

Snow settled back as they were sealed inside, Atomos suddenly lurching into motion. Despite the wild pace they could imagine the fal'Cie was going, everything inside remained relatively steady, as smooth as a ride on an airship. "Some of them are," he explained. "The ones that are hell-bent on starting a new war. Others, however, are simply doing their job, finishing whatever orders some higher-up fal'Cie gave them."

"Do you ever fight them?"

Lightning exchanged quick glances with Snow and Serah. "Only when we have to." Her answer was terse, which was more than enough for Tifa to realize the facing a fal'Cie wasn't so easy, and not just in the physical sense. In a world where the gods were masters, fighting them was asking for the whole population to ready their pitchforks. If they had to make their way through a line of fal'Cie before even finding out what happened to the Jenova strain, it was impossible to say if they were to even make it to the end.

When Atomos finally stopped, the chamber opened to the sound of running water, fresh air once again filling their lungs after the stale venture through the Subterra. Wild plants sprouted along the path, creeping into the cavern housing a havenless spring. Cloud and the others only rarely saw places like these back on the Planet, and finding this one brought marvel into their eyes.

"Take five," Lightning's voice echoed through the cavern. "This is the last stop until Oerba, so we should be well rested."

While Snow strolled through the springs with Serah, Vincent and Tifa wandered on their own path, observing an ecosystem they only heard stories of existing. Now that they thought about it, lingering on Pulse after the battle was over didn't sound like a bad idea. Their only problem – did they have enough courage to leave their old life behind as Lightning had supposedly done a year ago?

Cloud was in his own corner, watching crystals in the water throw shimmering lights across the rocks. It wouldn't be long until they reached Cocoon…drawing ever more closely to Jenova. For almost a decade, the alien matter brought ruin to his life; perhaps it cursed him by being housed in Nibelheim, as if fate continuously strung him to it wherever he went. Unintentionally, his hand reached for the mark on his bicep, as it counted down the seconds before he would finally face the abomination for the last time.

"How's the brand?" he heard from behind. Cloud threw a glance over his shoulder to find Lightning watching him with some caution. Almost contagious, her hesitance seemed to spread to him; their last conversation with just the two of them floated in his mind, tightening a rope around his neck. Should he forget to think before acting, he could suffer at the mercy of Jenova…

But did he still have a right to think like that? After what happened in Vallis Media, Lightning was well on her way to earning their whole trust back. He wanted to forget the threat of a Sanctum l'Cie in the midst of Pulse servants, even if their fates were on the line.

Remembering, he snapped out of his train of thought and tried to recall her question. "What?" When she gestured to his left arm, Cloud slightly lifted it so that the brand was in better view. At first, he wondered what she was trying to point out, but something about the black mark caught his eye. It somehow grew bigger than before, spreading across his skin, slightly but surely. At each end of the mark, a single arrow pointed in opposite directions, stretching the center to reveal a vague pink shade

"When we get lost from our path, or if we go through a nasty shock, the brand changes." She drew closer, though not too close, before leaning in to observe the brand along with him.

Cloud's eyes remained fastened on the brand as her words ran through his head. "It _does_ look different."

Lightning pulled back and walked toward the edge, watching the crystal lights dance on the surface. A tight expression marred her features, and he wondered what was running through her head.

Folding her arms before her chest, she let out a sigh. "It's said that Eidolons come as saviors when we lose hope. When we can't find our way, they remind us to keep going – that we shouldn't relent to this curse the fal'Cie give us." Her voice held no wonder that he assumed was to come with the mention of a savior. Though they come to help l'Cie, their rise had an underlying interpretation.

'_When we can't find our way…'_ Cloud turned away, remembering what ran through his head just before the scalding sensation from his l'Cie brand. Amidst the tension between the others, he struggled with the choices laid before him, and his reluctance to complete his Focus only made things worse.

He heard Lightning's heel twist in the dirt, her eyes piercing into the back of his head. "Something was running through your head after that attack," she said flatly, blocking any way for him to lie around it. With a slight lift of his brows, he finally understood the look on her face back in Vallis Media, when she mentioned the reason behind the Eidolon's presence. At that moment, he probably did need Valefor's presence the most. If the spat between Lightning and Vincent had escalated, he would have had no other choice but to choose a side.

"Can I trust you?" he asked in a low voice. Cloud's tone was pleading, seeking for a strand of hope in the sea of despair he was forced to swim in since they uncovered Hojo's files.

It was a long moment before Lightning replied. "Back to this again." Her voice was full of scorn, though he could pick out a hint of masked pain underneath. Though Lightning did very well in concealing her true feelings, he had known her long enough to find the cracks in her shield.

Instinctively, frantically, he searched for reasoning. "I need to know if these brands aren't permanent," Cloud said in an even tone. "There's gotta be a way to get them off without the risk of turning into a crystal or becoming one of those monsters."

Lightning's returning look was tight and pained. "We'll get through this," she assured, though it did little to assuage Cloud. "We can find a way to get these brands off, and things can be normal again." Every ounce of him wanted to believe her; she clearly had the experience to back her words, and even Snow and Serah were there to confirm that there truly _was_ a miraculous chance for them to be saved.

As soon as he felt like showing a sliver of hope on his face, she turned her eyes away, a dreaming glimmer hidden in her aqua eyes. "Maybe…you can even stay here."

Cloud could almost see what she envisioned in her mind, and his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. Turning away, he silently cursed at himself for being so close to giving in. At that moment, he felt that they could go back to the way things were – a happy life, surrounded by friends, living together…

And all that would have to come with the consequences – danger and risks he couldn't bear facing if Lightning's life was on the line.

"No." His voice was on the brink of trembling when he finally spoke. Behind, he could imagine the weight of his response dropping on her, the look on her face as the air swept out of her lungs. "I can't. If we get through this, I'm going back to the Planet."

The silence was hardly bearable, but Cloud wasn't sure how to handle any other reaction. Though the statement wasn't exactly clear cut, he hoped Lightning would understand enough. He couldn't, or to be more precise wouldn't, seek out any reason to stay behind if they found a way to fix everything. The opportune moment of happiness could be blatantly offered right in front of him, and he would turn away without a second thought…so long as it meant Lightning was free from harm for the rest of her life.

"Is it…because of the materia…?" Lightning's voice was a bare whisper while she did whatever it took to find words.

Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning back, looking at her with such rigid features. Any chance to sway his choice was to be instantly shot down before Lightning had a chance to pitch them. "I mean I'm going back…by my decision. It's hard with you…being how we are."

"How we are?" Lightning gave a brief shake of her head, failing to see where he was going with this.

His gaze drifted away. "Somehow, you always seem to get into a big mess." A wry smile ended up on his lips, almost as if he was fighting their attempts to fall in the other direction.

A mask of pain washed across her face; she looked at him with a mix of distress and rage. "I didn't want _any_ of us to become l'Cie-!"

"That's not what I meant!" Cloud was able to catch on and see where her train of thought went. Of everything that had happened, he wanted to avoid putting blame on her. It would have all too easily appeared as a l'Cie fighting his mortal enemy, which wouldn't have helped anyone's predicament. "Look at what's been going on, Light. No matter what I do, my chances of saving you are growing smaller and smaller."

For a brief moment, a flash of worry crossed her features until he turned away, refusing to give in to the strong urges inside. Being selfish had its consequences, and Cloud couldn't risk anyone getting caught up in it. "I'm not fit to help anyone," he muttered with a hint of disgust.

Lightning stomped her way around to face him, her face twisting in an effort to hold back whatever threatened to flood out from inside. "Nobody said you have to do this alone. Vincent and Tifa came with you. Snow and Serah joined you."

In response, Cloud let out a humorless chuckle. "And look what's happened to them."

Speechless, Lightning drew back. He could see her slipping farther out of his reach, and though it crippled him by the second, he was relieved about the distance. The more, the easier…and he had to make sure it stayed that way.

"We were supposed to get past this," she muttered in a strained voice. The sight of her misery was a reprieve compared to what he saw in that vision in the Haerii Archaeopolis. "Listen…" She took a step closer, and he had to think twice about drawing back. "_When_ we beat this Focus, promise me we'll talk."

Cloud didn't want to compromise; he had to concentrate on getting everyone out of this mess, and then he was gone. Even if he wouldn't immediately go back to the Planet once it was over, he would have to disappear, do whatever it took to make sure nothing changed his mind. Without looking back, he maneuvered around Lightning and headed to the exit of the Sulyya Springs, opposite where they came from.

"I've missed you."

The vulnerable words stopped him, his legs as if frozen in ice. The ground felt moments away from disappearing beneath his feet. With the flick of a switch, a heavy weight dropped into his chest, forcing the guilt of doubt onto him with no choice. Temptations flickered, and he struggled to keep them down.

Gritting his teeth, Cloud closed his eyes. "Don't," he said in a low yet clear voice, enough for her to easily hear.

Lightning, however, must have been lost in her thoughts. Her voice echoed with wishful thinking, her tone light and vaguely pleasant. "Ever since Midgar, I'd been hoping to see you again. Of course, not like this…And then Serah's been asking about you—"

"_Enough!_" His voice cut like a razor blade; the reaction was so abrupt he was able to notice the sharp intake of breath Lightning took. Cloud whirled on his heel to shoot daggers from his eyes, to strike down any further attempt she would make to sway his mind. "It doesn't matter anymore," he continued in a lower voice, tired and defeated. "You were right. Valefor did help me. Once this is all over, I'm going back."

His words hung in the air between them, and it was only when he heard Lightning's sharp intake of breath that he knew they hit home. Keeping their hopes up wasn't going to make things better – he had to make sure that stuck in his mind, or else future despair would cripple him.

"I don't want to see you again after this," he muttered in a dark voice as he turned back, barely loud enough for her to hear. For the past year, Lightning had to make sacrifices for the sake of keeping things stable between them, unable to foresee the terrible consequences they were now in. Cloud couldn't risk letting her take the same risks, especially if her fate was in the balance.

'_This will be my last sin…To hell if I'm never forgiven.'_

Daring himself, he turned just enough to look over his shoulder. Lightning's hard gaze was fixated on the ground to her right, the look a mixture of pain and conservation. He could see the conflicting thoughts raging inside, but it was near impossible to read them, not if she was still unaware of her Focus…was she?

At that moment, his hand instinctively reached out toward her, seeking to give her some ease of mind amongst the chaos enveloping them. It was only when she flinched back was he aware of his actions; a twinge of resentment was aimed in his direction, and he realized just how far he had pushed Lightning.

Cloud was one step closer to achieving his goal. Relief should have washed over him, knowing that Lightning had the chance of being safe once it was all over…but was it worth it?

"_Lightning!_"

Serah's frantic cry broke through their suffocating silence, and Lightning turned on her heel to find the younger Farron rushing up with a horrified expression. The weight of their conversation eased to the back of their minds; in an instant, Lightning held her arms out for Serah to run into. As her brows knitted tightly together, she gently held Serah's face in her hands while Cloud hurried from behind for examination.

"What is it?" he asked, immediately sensing the new tension.

Lightning tried to wait as Serah's eyes darted back and forth between her and Cloud. "Serah?"

She struggled to find the words, whatever frightened her still processing in her mind. Not too far behind, Vincent and Tifa hurried to regroup, looking at Serah with similar expression of worry.

"S-Snow…PSICOM, they…they took him!"

Eyes widening in shock, Lightning shot her gaze toward the end of Sulyya Springs, where the path eventually led to Taejin's Tower. Cloud's mind was in a similar state. How had none of them heard or even sensed anything wrong just outside of the cavern?

With a quick nod to Tifa and Vincent, he watched them dart off to where Serah came from in hopes of finding a lead. Why PSICOM didn't continue pursuing the other l'Cie worried him…and it added more suspicion as to what was happening on Cocoon.

* * *

The back of his head throbbed incessantly, keeping him from making an effort into holding it up. His arms were roughly tugged on, and his body followed as his heavy feet dragged across a long aisle.

As his vision slowly returned, he saw the familiar décor of Sanctum buildings and architecture. AMP-powered drones flew up above, off to fulfill whatever task PSICOM programmed them to do. His ears were vaguely muffled, eager to pop. In the distance, he heard the wind whipping around obstructions, indicating that they were aboard an airship. Soldiers lined the hall, at the ready if he planned to find means of escape.

Up ahead, he noticed a woman with pale blond hair trailing down her body in waves. A sleek white dress fit her form perfectly, allowing emphasis on her bright blue eyes that looked upon him with stern gentleness.

Snow was practically tossed before her, landing on all fours. With a groan, he eased back onto his knees. Contempt marred his features as he looked up at the woman with suspicion. "Let's skip ahead to the torture part, shall we?" he suggested with no hint of eagerness. No doubt she was probably some high ranking-person in PSICOM of the New Sanctum, the far less superior provisional government, but he couldn't recall any mention of someone fitting this woman's description.

She smiled a bit too pleasantly, and it actually sent shiver down Snow's spine. "My, my," she said in a low patronizing voice. "So strong…and stubborn."

To the average person, it may have sounded normal and teasing…but he was well aware of a Sanctum official's coy play on words. Glancing around, he noticed how all PSICOM personnel remained on standby, her command their only signal to spur into action. He knew there was a provisional government in place until the population was able to handle adjustments to new life, but this scenario was too familiar. If he didn't know any better, it was like this woman was the new primarch.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked with suspicion in his voice. Ever since Lightning's return from the Planet, things had been on fast-forward development. It was difficult to find who to trust…and who to avoid.

And when the woman's smile grew increasingly darker, Snow wanted to be anywhere but on the same airship as her.

"I apologize," she suddenly excused with soft pleasantries. Snow's nerves bristled even more. "We should get to know each other better. My name is Jenova."


	12. The Alliance

**The Alliance**

As soon as Serah managed to calm her nerves and beat down the sobs wracking her chest, Cloud felt cold from head to toe. It was so easy to lose one of their own, when he was only a minute or two away from possibly preventing it. The longer he stayed in this world, the more his will was stripped away by the hour. Perhaps this was what Lightning and the others dreaded the first time – with so many odds stacked against them, it was almost futile to even try and defy their fates.

Still, Lightning retained a hard countenance and stalked past the rest of the group in the direction of where Snow was allegedly taken. After only a few yards, Cloud caught up with quick strides and wrapped his fingers around her arm, bringing her to an abrupt stop.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

Lightning roughly shrugged him off and turned a glare on him. Hurt and tense, her eyes refused to contain the wounds he brought upon her. Cloud was taken aback for a brief moment, just long enough for her to steel her gaze and hide the emotions from the surface.

"Getting Snow back," she replied tersely before looking back toward Serah with a softer gaze. "What exactly happened?" Reluctantly grateful for Cloud's interruption, she still had to figure out everything about the situation before she charged in.

Serah grimaced, the account replaying in her head. "We were just talking, and then Snow heard a noise. He told me to stay behind when he left to check it out. That was when PSICOM got the jump on him. I tried to help, but they were too fast. There was an airship not too far away, as if they were waiting for us to walk by." Even after explaining, she still looked weary and defeated from the flurry of emotions. Tifa wrapped an arm around her before gently rubbing her shoulder.

"New Sanctum airship," Lightning deduced, muttering almost to herself. With a deep breath, she nodded. "Oerba, it is."

Cloud blinked with some confusion. "Snow's with PSICOM, and you still want to keep heading to Oerba?"

She turned to him with some hope lighting her eyes. "All airships traveling between Cocoon and Pulse have to report to the base in Oerba, even PSIOM ones. With everything that's going on, the ship with Snow must be the most recent one."

"And you think the people in Oerba will actually help us?" Cloud was right in sounding skeptical. They were still on the most wanted list to even the citizens; strolling in to ask for assistance was right next to suicide.

"We have a friend on the inside who can give us a ride."

Serah's worry gave way to the same glimmer of hope Lightning had. "You mean Sazh?" Last year, Sazh Katzroy readily offered assistance to PSICOM and Guardian Corps in aiding with the immigration from Cocoon to Pulse. His flying expertise surprised even the government officials; it was only a matter of time before they approached him with a position at the newly instated base in Oerba to oversee flights between the two lands.

Tifa did her best to keep up with the optimism of Lightning's suggestion. "He can get us to Snow?"

"Of course," Lightning replied. At that, most of them appeared to relax to the small glimmer of hope…

But one remained silent in the background, carefully observing Lightning with his piercing crimson eyes. Though everyone was anxious to free Snow from PSICOM, Vincent was still wary enough to remember who was suggesting going straight into the heart of enemy territory-

A Sanctum l'Cie.

An enemy.

Though his grimace was concealed by his cloak, the reluctance to jump on the band wagon seethed off in waves. It warred with his other half, the part that wanted to put trust in Lightning after everything they had gone through together.

As if sensing the wariness pulsating from his direction, Lightning turned toward Vincent curiously, trying to decipher the meaning behind the slightly creased forehead. He averted his eyes away, blocking her chances of reading his face…but he was too late.

"What now?" he heard her ask with a subtle hint of irritation. Vincent decided not to answer, though the silence now caught everyone's attention, their heads switching back and forth to try and read the situation.

Lightning huffed with a slight shake of her head. "I told you – I'm not leading you into any traps." Her voice was thick in earnest, and it was difficult to doubt her words except for the single crucial factor. If they went by her word, they could be walking straight into a trap, but sitting back and trying to figure things out would run into another dead end, for their time would be worthlessly spent, and it would all be too late.

What irked him the most was how confident she was about seeing this through to the end. Despite her declaration to retaliate back in Vallis Media, their chances of being successful in their mission were slim to none. The others may have been willing to put their stakes in this chance of getting rid of the brands and this Focus…

But the risks were too great for him to take that leap of faith.

He glanced toward Cloud, who instantly read the hesitation and became rigid. The choice between following Lightning and falling back to plan was suffocating. While the others were looking to him to comply and keep moving, he wasn't looking forward to seeing them all fail their Focus and suffer the consequences.

Without a word, Vincent turned on his heel and headed back to where Atomos rested. Perhaps he could still search for a way to get rid of their brands without charging into the heart of enemy territory. He respected Lightning and her friends' optimism in defying their fates…

But he had to face reality. They were on a time limit, and naturally, consorting with the enemy was just asking to lose.

'_But Lightning's not an enemy.'_ The thought stopped Vincent in his tracks. A strange pang erupted from his chest, coercing him into making a final choice. Even if the lives of thousands hung in the balance, he wondered if he was truly willing to risk the life of a friend, possibly all of them, if he chose to spare Lightning or not.

With deep breaths, he clutched his chest with a fisting hand, the flesh beneath feeling like burning off of his bones. As the pain intensified, it began to pierce through his deep train of thought, and Vincent realized it wasn't mere lamenting of their current situation. The center of the scorching sensation appeared to resonate from the l'Cie brand, reminding him that he didn't need to physically see the mark to remember his fate.

Just when he figured out what was happening, a dark blue color flashed beneath his feet, and a circle of a 20-foot radius was embedded in the ground while spinning in a clocklike motion. Vincent gritted his teeth, prepared for what was to come…

Until a hand firmly gripped his bicep and pulled him back. He stumbled back, but eventually found his footing next to Lightning, her Blazefire Saber extended at the ready.

"I had a feeling this would happen," she muttered, though as the ground trembled beneath their feet, he was able to catch her words.

While the glyph on the ground began turning even faster, Vincent kept a hard gaze toward her. "Get back," he said gruffly. "I'll handle this. It should be me who fights it, right?"

He knew she was aware of his dead-serious tone, but still, Lightning refused to budge. "You don't have to fight it alone. We do this together!"

Before he could protest any further, another bright flash momentarily blinded them. The tremors intensified as two white curves emerged from the glyph, followed by a dark metal helmet. A figure rose up like a deity from hell, the curves turning into long sharp horns curving down the back. The rest of its body was clad in navy blue armor, accentuating its disfigured form of disproportions. While its chest protruded in a proud warrior fashion, the monster's limbs appeared emaciated, the bone structure visible beneath the pliable skin. A slim but tall lance was gripped in one of the menacing claws at its side.

Large wisps of flame reached out to brush against Vincent and Lightning's faces, sweat instantly trailing down their necks and beneath their clothes. Looking up, Vincent tried to search for a countenance within the darkness of the helmet…

But pure white eyes flashed upon the visage. They peered down at the duo silently as the flames continued licking cross the creature's figure.

"Remember the drill?" Lightning inquired. Vincent's mind was still reeling at the sight, giving him close to no time in reacting to the Eidolon's sudden strike. The lance twirled in its palm before striking down toward their location, but they jumped away at opposite ends in time to be smothered by rocks and dirt.

Instantly, Lightning rolled onto one knee and began shooting at the Eidolon, her face set with unmoving determination. Vincent felt somewhat lost at her actions; why would she still run to his aid after facing his doubts? Despite the constant wariness and accusations he threw her way, Lightning refused to back down and watch the Pulse l'Cie struggle with their Focus. What gave her the strength to push through with perseverance when all odds were stacked against her?

As if sensing his hesitation, the creature turned on its heel, the eyes once again zeroing in on Vincent. In a flash, he straightened and pulled out Cerberus to unleash a barrage of bullets, hoping to rip its attacks off of Lightning. The bullets ricocheted off its armor, ineffective of actually doing harm. However, the act itself angered the Eidolon, for the flames spewing from the open helmet quickly changing into a crimson blaze, anger rolling off in waves.

Changing its course, it sped toward Vincent in a single leap; the lance rose high above its head to skewer Vincent upon impact. Sinking to a low crouch, he waited until it was just a fraction before becoming too late to get out unscathed, and he leaped into a backflip while whipping his gun out to riddle the Eidolon with even more bullets. Like before, the attempt had to disappoint, and the creature continued slicing through the air with its lance with hopes of landing a hit.

In a wild dance, l'Cie and Eidolon dodged and parried, though Vincent was just focused on getting out of the creature's bloodlust. As its lance came down to pierce the ground, Lightning appeared from behind to execute the same attack, digging her gunblade into the creature's back. The Eidolon lurched in pain, stumbling on its feet so that its back was on the path to slamming into the wall of the mountain.

An arm slid around Lightning's waist before she was flattened into a pancake; the gunblade broke free from her grip as it remained embedded in the Eidolon's back. Whipping her head to the side, Lightning caught a glimpse of Vincent's marred visage just before they tumbled to the ground, rolling away as the Eidolon crashed into the side of the mountain.

The momentum was too strong from the moment the creature lurched, and it was carried all the way until Vincent found himself slipping off the edge of the cliff. He suspended for a brief moment, enough for him to reach out and rake his clawed hand into the cliff side as the descent was too far down. Pebbles and dust assaulted him, stuffing his nose and trying to blind him, but he held on tight as he finally came to a stop.

Turning his gaze toward the sky, he saw a tuft of pink hair poke out from the side of the cliff. Lightning stared down in horror, and he soon realized what she noticed – he was a great distance away, and even two arm's lengths had only a small chance of helping him back up the cliff.

Her glancing over her shoulder proved to making matters worse. She hardly made a move to help Vincent back up, and already the Eidolon was stalking upon them, ready to finish the job. The flames spewing from its helmet grew aggravated, the bloodlust pouring from the bright eyes in waves. In its hand, the lance was flipped upside down, prepared to complete its task in one strike.

It made no sense. He couldn't rip his eyes away from the sight above him. Lightning was giving the Eidolon a clear opening for attack, and yet her main focus was on helping him - her arm instantly shot down toward him, fingers out in a trembling stretch. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to reach him without falling off the edge herself.

Vincent thought it was madness. Anyone in their right mind would have tried to deal with the Eidolon first before going to him; his grip was firm, and he doubted he would plummet to the bottom anytime soon. Lightning had enough time to deal with the monster, but still she put the well-being over others before her own, even when it wasn't logical. With the evidence right in front of him, could he still doubt Lightning's steadfast determination and loyalty to the Pulse l'Cie?

The cliff began to tremble beneath his palm, and he could tell it was only a matter of seconds before the Eidolon would tower over Lightning. In one lunge, he swung an arm up to meet Lightning's in a firm grasp. She instantly hauled him up, and he assisted with clawing the side of the cliff as he went.

With one final tug, she managed to get Vincent on even ground, and she dropped on her hands and knees after much exertion. Vincent himself used a moment to catch his breath…until the Eidolon's shadow encased the both of them, the fiery heat beating down on their heads with infuriating calmness.

Just an arm's length away, Cerberus laid in the grass, fallen from its holster in the tumble. He gathered it in his hand in one swift motion and swung the muzzle toward the Eidolon. The deep plummet he was about to take remained behind them, while the creature blocked any safe means of escape. Despite their predicament, he wouldn't go down without a fight. Vincent couldn't stand to break his debt to Lightning so easily, and even if she was on the other side of the l'Cie field, she was still a friend.

A friend he was willing to fight with to the very end.

Lightning raised a hand to call upon her magic, but by the time bits of frost appeared on her fingertips, the Eidolon ceased in its tracks. Flames continued spewing from the depths of the helmet, but it lessened in intensity, almost as if its breath returned to regular pace. Vincent and Lightning watched it warily, keeping an eye open it case it was planning a surprise attack…

But it relaxed from its rigid stance before falling to one knee, the lance still in its hand. The knight's helmet bowed lowly in their presence, forgetting any notion of doing harm. Once Lightning stumbled to get up on her feet, she tugged on Vincent's arm to do the same; sweat trickled down their faces and necks, but they were glad to let out sighs of relief.

The Eidolon then looked up at its master, the white orbs for eyes connecting with Vincent's own crimson gaze. A strange sensation shot through his being, though it was more alleviating than painful.

"_**By the grace of Etro, emerge from the deepest fires of perdition. Come forth, clad in smoldering justice.  
A name in blood, a pact of flare. Ifrit shall rise, his bond eternal and unyielding.  
Tenebrous dusk.  
Demonic blaze."**_

The familiar name stuck out to him, and he knew it was complete. This was the same trial Cloud had gone through – a test from within, to save his mind from being lost in turmoil.

Vincent's limbs were close to giving out when dark flames encased Ifrit, concealing him until the embers died out, and no trace was left behind. The Blazefire Saber clattered to the ground, still extended in its sword mode. His mind was frantic for an answer, wanting to find reason to his unanswered questions.

"Why did it…?" At first, he was confused…but as he replayed the battle in his mind, Vincent eventually figured it out.

Ifrit appeared the moment he was at an end to Lightning's loyalty. In spite of his standoffish ways, he truly worried about the people surrounding him, and he wasn't ready to put the others at risk by putting all his faith in Lightning's help.

Still, he found it impossible to sever all ties. Even if she were the enemy, he couldn't turn his back on her; not only would it lead him nowhere, but his friendship with Lightning reminded him of the values in forgiveness and redemption. For the past year, she had been a solid member in their team back on the Planet, and he wasn't going to let her down anytime soon.

Lightning sighed as she picked up the gunblade and shortened it into its gun mode before tucking it away. "I understand why you can't trust me," she said without looking back at him, her tone calm and patient. "However, believe me when I say this – I'm gonna do whatever it takes to save you guys from your fate."

Vincent could hear the sincerity in her words, ready to believe them…but reality still reared its ugly head and kept him from breaking the tension. "I'm surprised you keep going," he commented honestly with a mix of uncertainty. He slowly put his gun back in its holster, still reeling from the events just a few minutes ago. "Snow and Serah, too. If you help us, you'll turn cie'th." He wondered if thinking about the truth would shake her resolve, open her eyes to reality as well. "Are you really just going to wait for a miracle to fall into your hands and save you? How are you so sure it will come?"

Though he admired their optimism back in Vallis Media, it sounded like empty words in face of the horrors they explained about becoming l'Cie. Determination and faith were strong, but it could also be blinding. For thirty years, he slumbered in Nibelheim, seeking out any thread of atonement to cling onto, until Cloud and the others appeared to give his life meaning once again. It was a miracle he was eternally grateful for, but it wasn't like they came whenever they were needed. It seemed fruitless to wait for one to appear, as well as debilitating once one realized it would never come.

Still, his doubt failed to break Lightning's fortitude; he could see her firm stance, set on following this Focus to the end.

"Because we'll make it happen," she replied with a clear, unwavering voice. It piqued Vincent's surprise, the barest hint of it appearing on his face. "Miracles aren't things we make for ourselves."

Turning back, she faced him with one of her trademark smiles that could have easily been mistaken for a smirk. "Just a few months, ago, didn't you stop Omega from its job of destroying the Planet?"

Her words struck something from within. In a way, she was correct – due to Deepground's malevolent plans, it was in Omega's natural design to destroy the Planet should the world be in danger. Acting against nature was logically near impossible, yet Vincent managed to keep the Weapon from killing millions of innocent souls, more than well considered to be a miracle within itself.

Perhaps fate and destiny weren't so set in stone as history made them out to be. Lightning may have been forced to be an enemy of him and the others, but none of that changed who she truly was. Even when Vincent himself became a monster after Hojo's experimentation, he still managed to hold onto the glimmer of humanity left behind to escape the fifty-year hell he carved out.

He hesitated for a short moment, but soon enough he looked upon Lightning with an appreciative gaze. "Thank you," he delivered bluntly, but in his case, it was more than enough to show the sincerity. "What happened to the others?"

Lightning nodded her head back to the spring. "I told them to get a head start before running back to get you. With luck, we could get to Oerba by sundown."

Vincent chuckled silently to himself, making sure Lightning didn't hear as the two of them set out to regroup with the rest of the team. All the talk about luck and miracles hardly changed his mind about the concept…

But maybe, just maybe, if they truly could make their own miracle, it wouldn't be so bad to keep going to see the end.


	13. The Ride

**The Ride**

After a dizzy trek up Taejin's Tower and riding an elevator across a dark chasm, Cloud feasted his eyes on the deserted village of Oerba. Layers of snow coated the mountaintops, untouched by civilization for a good while. Scraps and materials were strewn about, discarded in the midst of building a new place to call home. Frosty air bit at their skin, but thankfully, it was all managed by the orange sunset over the horizon. Already halfway through the village, they felt like the last humans alive, and they were surrounded by memories of ancient ghosts.

"Oerba," Serah breathed out, marveling at the sight all around her. "So this was where Vanille and Fang used to live."

Lightning walked over to stand by a dilapidated tree, looking out at a ruined bridge that drew closer to Cocoon. "The airships will be over on the bridge," she told the others. Cloud came to stand beside her, the harsh wind whipping his hair into his face. "Let's hope Sazh decided to stay behind."

Without even a glance toward him, she turned and headed down the closest ramp, intent on reaching the airships as soon as possible. Cloud knew it was foolish to think she would willingly cooperate after what he did. Ever since she reappeared with Vincent, Lightning seemed as normal as she could be – calm, tactful, and an overall naturally born leader.

So why was he occasionally searching for an opportunity to steal glances or have a moment? It was harder than he imagined; despite his resolve and practically crushing her spirits back in the Sulyya Springs, he wanted to stay close to Lightning almost instinctively, just like how it had been back on the Planet.

Cloud curled his hand into a tight fist, chastising him for repeating history all over again. From the beginning, he had made Lightning run in circles about his emotions, and now they were becoming harder to keep in check. But what else was he supposed to do? Give in and try to keep her to himself once more? All just to make sure he would never lose her again? That only spelled out more future disasters, and above all, he wanted to avoid them.

Tifa gently laid a hand on his arm to bring him back to reality; he looked over his shoulder to see Serah and Vincent follow Lightning down the ramp, a few steps closer to the airship base. What he had to concentrate on now was getting Snow back to solve this Focus, or else everything he had done thus far would be for nothing.

They swept through the village without second glances and crossed the bridge with diligence. On the other side, the airship dock remained quiet and undisturbed. No sign of the staff or crew members were found, despite the place being a usually bustling area to accommodate movement between Cocoon and Pulse. Supply crates were lazily stacked into piles on one side; recently built offices remained clean on a far end. Despite the long stretch of road meant for keeping airships, a single craft rested on therunway, abandoned for an indefinite amount of time.

"Looks like everyone hightailed out of here," Tifa observed as she walked by a table cluttered with courier documentation. She picked up a paper and examined the contents. "This was how you guys were going back and forth between Cocoon and Pulse?"

Serah nodded as her eyes scanned the grounds. "They recently started a project for an elevator installed in the crystal pillar. For now, this is the only way."

From the corner of his eye, Vincent caught the subtlest of movements behind the crates, a flash of black and green between the cracks. Pulling out Cerberus in no time, he took aim and lodged three bullets into the farthest line of crates, effectively halting the strange movement. Loud ruckus immediately followed, alerting the others to be at the ready.

Gloved hands shot up just barely above the stacks, slightly quivering from Vincent's threat with his pistol. "H-Hey! Hold your fire! I come in peace!"

Serah hesitated for a moment before relaxing, her eyes widening with surprise. "Sazh?"

Just as Lightning followed suit, a man in his mid-years edged out into the open warily. His afro was frizzier than average, most likely due to stress, and his army green coat appeared worn out and stained with oil. Cloud could tell from his scraggly stance and clueless-like demeanor that he was going to mean little harm, especially if Lightning and Serah were familiar with him.

The man continued holding his hands up like a convict found guilty until Serah's words registered in his head. Peering over to the group, he noticed the two sisters and straightened up his posture, a smile turning his wary frown upside down.

"Serah. Lightning!"

His liveliness was somewhat refreshing, especially after the things they had gone through up to this point. Without hesitation, Cloud and the others relaxed. The man dropped his hands and ran up to the group as Cloud cocked an eyebrow toward Lightning.

"Your inside man?" he suspected, unconvinced of the man's capabilities upfront.

Lightning returned a grimace holding a bit of guilt. "He's more reliable than he looks," she did her best to amend. Despite Sazh's silliness at even the worst of times, he was there for anyone that needed someone with a good heart. Stepping up, she met Sazh with a firm handshake, and intuition immediately flashed in the man's eyes – the team wasn't here just to merely hang. "Sazh, these are friends of mine."

Sazh looked around Lightning's shoulder and gave her new companions a once-over. "You kept the most interesting company while you were away," he speculated with intrigue. With just one glance, he knew they weren't from around here. The one in the red tattered cape turned in his direction just once and sent shivers down Sazh's spine; immediately looking away, the pilot realized intimidation when he felt it.

Returning his gaze toward Lightning, he finally noticed the deadpanned stare the woman gave him, obviously not in the mood to deal with his usual quips. Sazh cleared his throat in an apologetic manner; regardless of being many years ahead of her, he held her in high regard for her strong will and natural leadership. "Sorry, go ahead."

At first, it appeared Lightning was about to say something, but she thought against it and looked over her shoulder. Once she caught Serah's gaze, she gaze a small jerk of her head, motioning the younger Farron to come forward. While Serah started, she wondered what was running through her sister's head until Lightning held a hand out toward her. Almost instinctively, Serah raised her left arm, and Lightning very gently wrapped her fingers around the branded bicep.

When Serah came to a stop, the older sister slowly turned her arm so that Sazh could get a better look. The Pulse brand couldn't have been any clearer on her skin, its ends looking just fairly progressed in its stages.

With a heavy sigh, Sazh leaned back and crossed his arms before his chest. "Kids just have to get themselves in trouble once again," he said in his sage-like voice. Despite his pointing out the harsh truths, his words always carried reason and did it in a way to not lead other l'Cie into despair. "Just when everyone's heading to Cocoon, too."

The last bit of information intrigued Cloud, his forehead slightly creasing. "Why is that?" he asked.

"Heard it's some kind of virus making people into crazies," Sazh elaborated, scratching the back of his head as he thought back over the details. "I heard it started in New Bodhum."

From the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Lightning's back turn rigid at Sazh's words. He could imagine what the chaos she unleashed looked like – glowing mako eyes filled with bloodlust, crimson smears all over her hands. The Jenova cells inside her must have had some kind of goal when it manipulated her mind.

"The Jenova cells," she let out with the smallest hint of a shudder. "They're causing a scare, forcing everyone to go back to-"

"'Paradise'," Serah finished as her eyes widened in shock, a hand flying to her lips. Little by little, the pieces began to fit once again, only augmenting the fear in their hearts. "That flyer was like an S.O.S., to send anyone who wasn't infected to Cocoon."

Though it may have sounded like a safe plan, Lightning knew better than to trust the old vipers in the sky. "But the fal'Cie are awake. It's a no-win situation." Returning to their homeland could have been no problem if they weren't at risk of being enslaved again. Lightning's predicament was the consequence of such action.

Sazh sighed, having no other choice but to be the bearer of more bad news. "Word is they got a new ringleader. Something else taking Dysley's place."

"Another primarch?" Serah hardly believed that things were reverting back to the old ways, when the populace was just fodder, pawns to the fal'Cie. Their lives on Pulse were finally turning into a dream come true. Was it all meant to be just a mere dream?

"So they say," Sazh tried to amend before gesturing to the airship dock surrounding him. "I've been busy here, hauling everyone into airships and up to the motherland."

Tifa shuddered at a small point he didn't emphasize, but still proved to darken their light of hope. "Everyone?"

Lightning grimaced at the thought. "There's no one else here but us." Whatever scheme was formulating on Cocoon, it was already well on its way to completion. It may have saved everyone from the Jenova scare she brought upon Pulse, but it only brought them to the heart of the vipers' nest, ripe for the fal'Cie to easily dispose.

There was only one reasonable course of action to take; Lightning wasn't about to leave a friend behind, not to mention a future brother-in-law. She turned to face Sazh. "PSICOM has Snow. We need to follow them to Cocoon."

Without a hint of hesitation, Sazh nodded. "I gotcha," he agreed before waving a hand to an airship nearby. "Luckily, we still got a few airships down here. They didn't bother sending back the others."

Setting her mind, Lightning told the others of their soon departure – it would be treated as a war zone the moment they landed on Cocoon. Though they were strolling in with a limited vision of what they were up against, the team was headstrong in keeping Snow from harm and making sure the rest of the population wouldn't have to face a terrible fate.

Mere minutes before take-off, Sazh finished setting aside a pile of forms on his workbench when a brief flash of red came from the corner of his eye. He glanced toward the stacks at the far end of the airship docks, hoping to find whatever had caught his attention. Everything remained still, nothing moved out of place, and he looked to the group in the other direction, waiting for his say-so to board the airship.

Only, there was one person missing.

Anxiety and paranoia instantly shot up to alert his senses, but he had to keep his cool for just a bit longer. If she knew of his awareness too soon, it would only spell out trouble for everyone else. Receding into shadows, Sazh trailed through to littered materials of the dock, hoping to avoid the gazes of the others.

As he drew closer, he could hear the staggering breaths attacking her lungs. Sazh knew he was asking for Lightning to beat his ass for sneaking up on her, but with the circumstances, he knew it was far from wise to keep secrets from friends, especially allies she had to trust her life with. Rounding the corner, he carefully peered over to find her struggling to stay off her knees, her hand gathering her turtleneck into a tightly balled fist on her chest.

But what intrigued Sazh the most was the blatant red symbol glowing above her hand. Its shape twisted and changed to a brand new stage, striking dread to the man's features. He could instantly understand the sight before him, augmented by the sweat pouring off Lightning's face.

"Y…You're-!"

The terrified stammer instantly alerted her of his presence; Lightning's tired pale eyes glared up at him, sending a very threatening warning. "Don't tell the others," she growled so lowly that only he could hear.

Just as the brand began receding on her chest, Sazh reeled back at the thought. Last year, he imagined the Sanctum l'Cie as heroes of the people – chosen individuals like his son to protect everyone from the menace that was Pulse.

However, he realized the distrust easily went both ways. With fate and future hanging in the balance, no l'Cie in their right mind would attempt something as suicidal as helping the enemy. In his eyes, he couldn't help but imagine Lightning as a quiet snake in a nest, waiting to strike at the opportune moment.

Sazh looked over his shoulder to the others. Serah and the woman Tifa laughed at something Cloud had said with such a neutral tone; the quiet gunslinger had his arms crossed, though there was nothing about his posture that screamed wariness. It would be so easy to frighten them with the truth – to force their Pulse brands to progress at such an alarming rate when they figure out Lightning's time is drawing closer than they thought.

Unless…Lightning herself was planning to get a jump on them.

Sazh failed to hold back a grimace when he turned to Lightning once again. "You're leading them into a trap," he muttered too matter-of-factly.

Before another train of thought ran through his head, Lightning took one step to shove a clenched fist against his chest. Her tired eyes sent the sharpest daggers at him as Sazh almost tripped on his own feet, briefly surprised at the strength she still had after suffering a brand progression. Her teeth ground together, revealing a terrible snarl, and he saw she was only a little push away from putting a bullet through his head.

"I'm not!" Her voice was hoarse – a combination of fatigue and reluctance to alert the others of their conversation. She gave a look of fury, but it was still coating a hint of betrayal that Sazh could easily see. "You think I would put Serah in that kind of danger? Or Cloud, for that matter?"

With a sigh, Sazh realized he should have known better. The last thing Lightning would have wanted was to put her own sister in danger, not if she could do anything about it. As for Cloud, he had heard stories of Lightning's life in some other world; the guy must have been really important if he had been able to crack Lightning's shell so deeply.

She would cherish them until her last breath, even if it set her against fate.

"All right," he relented as an apology, raising his hands as if in surrender. Lightning eased up, though it was clear on her face that she was still torn by the situation. "So what's your Focus?"

As he waited for her explanation, he failed to notice how his peripheral vision was hindered by the stacks. Most of his body and a glimpse of Lightning could still be seen…

And Cloud remained silent as he watched a dark aura pass over the two from a distance.


End file.
